Silence and Rain
by mellow984
Summary: (Country Road AU). Nathan connects with Rain and Buck finds a little trouble with Lucy and when he decides to accept his responsibilities, he loses it all.
1. Chapter 1

-Silence and Rain+

It wasn't a fun job. Not tearing up the carpet, not pulling out every floor nail especial when the nail gun wielder had done an over-kill of using the tacks. But it was bearable when you had the right set of hands to help with the project.

It wasn't something Josiah would had been able to finished in a day on his own but Chris gave a pace that the others felt bound to keep and Buck, well his young brother made the monstrosity work a little lighter with joyful banter and long-winded stories. Nathan would humor Buck a time or two and call him out on a what he thought was bullshit but Buck took it all with a good- hearted, contagious laugh. Josiah wasn't sure if the boy ever stopped smiling but that sat just fine with him. His brother was a rarity in this life.

"The way I see it, Josiah." Buck pointed his pliers at Josiah as he spoke. He was in a raised on his knees, having found a corner spot of the room to work at pulling tacks out of the wooden floor. "You and me, well we are kind of alike."

Josiah looked up and about the small room. Nathan was working in the middle of the room. Chris was smart enough to pick a corner with two nearby windows while he had gotten stuck in a corner with no windows at all. Near the door, Ezra was pulling tacks out. Or he was suppose to be. Josiah wonder where his youngest son had went and when he went to wherever it was he was hiding. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, turning his light blue eyes in Buck's direction. "How is that, brother?"

"Chris over there, well he is only happy in one relationship at a time." Buck started to explain.

Chris looked up from his own kneeling spot on the floor. "Most people are, Buck."

Nathan nodded his head in agreement with Chris. "I only ever had two girlfriends and even that wasn't back to back and those lasted longer than a school year."

"And how many have you have, Josiah?" Buck smiled over at his eldest brother. "I know it had to be more than two!"

Josiah grinned with a nod, sitting back on his rump for a small break. He was getting too old to crawl around the floor, he thought. "I admit, I played wild."

"I knew it!" Buck laughed, his brown eyes sparkled. "I knew it! You and I are alike! So you understand where I am coming from, am I right?"

Josiah gave his brother a thoughtful look, trying to remember what brought them to this topic of conversation. Honesty and heavy caution, he thought to himself. "I know that path in which you are speaking about. When I was younger, I wasn't looking for anyone to settle down with. I wanted to be free and enjoy without anything holding me back. Now that I'm older, I wished I had been looking and not wasting my time. Or kept better relationships with the ones I was in. It's a lonely and difficult road to travel on but having that special person, and I do mean one, well it makes it a little easier. It makes it worth it." Josiah looked down at a peculiar rusty tack that didn't want to be pulled out of the wooden plank. "Now here I am at thirty-seven, single father of two and wondering if the right one is still waiting on me or had she given up on my boyish behavior."

"Now you gone all depressing and moody like." Buck faked a disappointed head shake. "Besides, you don't know the right one if you didn't try them all on for size, am I right?"

"And yet our parents seemed to find the right one and well," Josiah pointed over to Chris' direction with a nod of his head. "Seems as our brother has too. Perhaps you and I, seeing as we are so alike, should be taken a lesson from them?"

"Our brother!" Buck swung the pliers in Chris' line of fire. "Our brother is no saint, don't let those puppy love eyes fool you. He has had more than my share of the ladies before Sarah!"

"Don't involve me in your line of reasoning." Chris glared over at his brother.

"What exactly are we discussing anyways?" Nathan questioned, giving a glance around the room. His eyes narrowed at the empty spot at the doorway. "Where is Ezra? I thought he was suppose to be helping us?"

"Think the boy went for a bathroom break." Buck looked over to the spot near the door where Ezra had been but now a hammer and pliers only marked his once location.

Chris also looked over at the vacant spot. "That was over an hour ago."

"Well he didn't say if it was one or two issue." Buck shrugged his shoulders. "And I didn't feel the need to pry."

"I'm going to go find him." Nathan huffed, putting his tools down noisily.

Josiah went back to his task but added, "No fighting" as his son walked passed him to go through the door. He watched his eldest son go through the room next door to find his brother. When it came to Nathan and Ezra's relationship, it perplexed Josiah. Seemed Nathan kept mixing his role up with being a brother and that of a father. Sometimes Nathan got clingy when it came to his younger brother.

"If it's alright with you, Josiah. I was wondering if I would be allowed to kidnap Nate for two or three hours next Friday night. We could hit this club called the Hot Point." Buck pulled at tack out of the floor with ease and went to the next one. "Thought it would loosen him up a little. Just a lot of starting up bands and no alcohol is allowed but there is plenty of fun. Now I didn't ask him, I kinda wanted your permission first."

Once again Josiah sat back on his job, even with the windows opened the room felt stuffy. He could hear Nathan's voice calling out for his brother from somewhere upstairs. Josiah scratched the back of his head as he tossed the idea about in his mind. He remembered Officer Bryce mentioning the place during Ezra's parole meeting with him. Ezra was restricted from it but Nathan wasn't so he found himself nodding his head. After all, Nathan was not only seven-teen, he was cautious, mature and trustworthy. "If it's something he agrees to do, I don't see a problem. Clubs aren't usually his kind of thing but he should socialize a little more. Try to make sure you don't get him into trouble."

Buck did an imitation of a halo around his head and Josiah gave him a skeptical look while Chris smirked as he continued to pull tacks out of the wooden floor.

* * *

Ezra was on the balcony that adjoined his bedroom, sitting perfectly balanced on it's rail, his legs crossed at the ankles as he glared at the little tool shed that once was a latrine. "Still looks like a latrine." He mumbled to himself, hating that it was in his view from the balcony. It was bad enough he could see it every time Josiah drove him up on the driveway but to see it from his own personal bedroom view was too much.

"There you are." Nathan placed his hands on his hips, frowning at his brother from the entrance of the french doors that lead from the balcony to Ezra's bedroom. "I've been calling out for you."

"Have you?" Ezra looked up with false surprise, hiding his lie easily. "I hadn't heard."

"Bullshit." Nathan walked out onto the balcony, placing both hands on the rail to look at the sight. "You are suppose to helping downstairs not hiding."

"Forgive me. I was enjoying the last moments of my freedom before I am to return to my prison of isolation." Ezra nodded towards his bedroom, referring to his house arrest.

Nathan rolled his eyes at his words. "Why are you always over-dramatic. It's your own fault that you are stuck with a curfew. It could had been worse, you know that."

"Says the one with the freedom to roam about." Ezra kept his eyes on his brother. "Watching you is like watching a homing pigeon. You are free to fly away but always come back to the cage where I am starving for flight and yet remain unable to do so."

"I feel bad for you-" Nathan started.

Ezra raised his brows in disbelief. "Do you now?"

"Said I did, didn't?" Nathan glanced over in his direction. "Sometimes I think you are covering up being a genious, not wanting anyone to know how smart you really are. Then, you turn around and do idiotic stuff to land yourself in trouble like this and then pity yourself for your stupidy and I am left to question your intellience."

"We all cannot be saints, Nathan." Ezra gave him a sad sort of smile. "After all, if it wasn't for us sinners, no one would know how perfect you are. Would they now?"

Nathan shook his head at his brother's words. He knew he wasn't a saint and he knew his brother wasn't a bad person. He just doesn't seem to know how to make the right choice. He was impulsive with his actions. "It's only for four months though. Then, well Dad will probably let you out till eight or something-"

"Eight?" Ezra snorted. "As that is much better."

"But you have to show that you can stay out of trouble, Ez." Nathan turned around and pulled himself on the rail to sit on. "How about we make a bet on it? Some kind of wager, huh? You do better when you are challenged."

Ezra turned his eyes to that awful sight of the latrine and shook his head, "I rather not."

"What?" Nathan looked over at his brother in true surprise. He was being honest with his brother when he had said that he did better when challenge. More than anything, Ezra loved proving people that he can do exactly what they say he cannot. He studied his brother in disbelief. "We can bet on chores."

Ezra tore his gaze from the small building to his brother's face. "I don't like the odds."

Nathan frowned while looking at his brother with a tilt of his his head. "Saying that makes me think you are already planning something."

"And if I am?" Ezra smirked, he loved pushing his brother. Nathan was so easy to rile up and for that, his brother would always get off track of their discussion.

"Then best you get it out of your head now." Nathan said sternly, almost the impression of Josiah. "Don't make me tell Dad on you. I don't want to be that kind of brother towards you but if it keeps you out of trouble, I will do just that!"

"And dear brother, what would you tell him?" Ezra stood up on the rail, never losing his balance as he walked across the beam only to stop and pose into a squat in front of his brother, as he was born to walk a thin line. "That I refused to take at bet? Would that be what you would discuss with Josiah? I don't see how he could fault me on that. Do you? He may however question your behavior on trying to tempt me in such an unrighteousness activity."

Nathan studied him, taking a deep breath and his eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to Ezra, inches from his face. "I smell smoke. You've been out here smoking, haven't you? Damn it Ezra! You know better than that!"

"Where would I get cigarettes?" Ezra questioned, jumping off the rail and headed to his bedroom.

"You seem to have a whole line of resources when it comes to trouble." Nathan called out, searching for a hiding place where his brother may have hidden the box and lighter. Nathan looked down at the ground, thinking that maybe Ezra dropped them when he heard Nathan calling out his name.

Ezra was smoking, he knew it. That smell of tobacco was easy to recognize. "You know it isn't a good habit. People die from long term cigarette smoking." He gave up on his search so he headed into Ezra's bedroom taking in the fragrance of a sweet peppermint that Ezra was using to mask the smell of cigarette. It was some kind of scent Maude had bought Ezra and it suited him, Nathan had to admit. He had no idea what it was and doubt he could afford it anyways but, his brother smelt like Christmas all year long.

Ezra was sitting cross leg on his perfectly made bed, flipping through a comic book but looked up at Nathan with raised eyebrows as he entered the room. His room was very organized unlike Josiah and Nathan's room, which still had unpacked boxes in corners. Then again, Nathan thought to himself. Ezra really didn't have a lot of stuff. There were no pictures or keepsakes of memories. It was rather, empty.

"You know what we are going to do? Tonight, I'm going to show you some picture of what lungs look like from long term tobacco use!" Nathan folded his arms in front of him as he scolded his brother. "Maybe if you see the reality of it, you will think twice before lighting up!"

Without hesitation, Ezra slipped off the bed and was on his knees with his hands claps in plea before Nathan, in a worthy stage performance of a dramatic scene his brother accused of him moments ago. "Please! Not that! I beg you! Anything but that! How would I survive such suffering!" He reached out, grabbing the bottom of Nathan's t-shirt with pleading eyes. "I promise I will never ever do such an ungodly act again just please don't bore me! Have leniency on my sanity my dearest brother!"

"Ah ha!" Nathan pointed a finger at him. "You admit it! You said 'again'!"

"That's all you got out of that?" Ezra brows furrowed, he thought his performance was well on the mark.

It was then that Josiah popped his head in. He looked from one son to the other and back again. "Thought I told you two no fighting? Now get downstairs so we can get this job finished." He took a deep breath and nodded his head, saying something about Christmas in the air already as he turned away to go back downstairs whistling, out of tune, jingle bells.

Nathan pulled out of Ezra's grip. "You are unbelievable."

"But not boring." Ezra popped up from the floor with the energy of a fourteen year old.

"Don't you get tired of acting like a five year old?" Nathan headed out of the room.

"Don't you get tired of acting like a ninety-year old?" Ezra mocked right behind him.

"Shut-up." Nathan hissed as he bounded down the stairs.

"Make me," Ezra edge him on.

"Both of you shut the hell up." Josiah raised his voice from the room they were working on. "Get your frustration out by tearing up these tacks then we can order for pizza."

"With banana peppers?" Ezra asked, finally returning to his spot on the floor. "Or I'm not eating."

"I don't like banana peppers." Nathan commented, back at his spot. "Could eat some sausage on mine."

"We can order more than one pizza." Josiah pulled at another tack.

"I'm not going to eat a whole pizza, Josiah." Ezra sat back against the wall, opening and closing his pliers with a false fascination but not trying to pull any tacks out of the floor.

"We can order half and half." Josiah shrugged. He wondered why ordering pizza had to be so difficult. "Not a big deal."

"I'm not eating half a pizza either," Ezra shook his head.

"I will eat the other half of your half!" Chris looked over at Ezra. "Quite bitching now and use those pliers to pull out tacks!" He glanced over at his brother who was smiling at him. "What?"

"And you want kids some day," Buck answered with a laugh.


	2. School Mess

The boys had started their first day in the new school the following week after pulling up the flooring in one of the downstairs rooms. Ezra kept his jeans over his monitor for concealment, which relieved Nathan as he thought it was rather embarrassing.

Josiah had already preregister the boys and even drove them to school for the first day of class. He walked them into the school to the administration office, ignoring both of their protest and insisting they did not need him to accomplish them into the building and he was only mortifying them. Josiah didn't mind and his smile told them just that. After all, he didn't get a chance to embarrass them as much as they have him and figured he had some pay backs that were in need of being issued.

The brothers were taken back at the size of the school on entering the building. They knew it would be small but not that small. Ezra had been in private schools and public schools but never one at this size. Nathan had only knew of his New York school which had multi- levels in the building. Four Corner's school district consisted of one level, 'L' shaped building that housed grades seventh up to twelveth grade within its wall. The lockers lined the hallway, numbers only went to five-hundred and fifty and even then the boys doubted all the lockers were in use. JD's school consisted of kindergarten to sixth grade could be seen from the high school parking lot and was a ten minute stroll between the schools.

The two received their schedule and would maintain that same schedule every week. They also received a map of the school and exchanged smirks on wondering how anyone could get lost in a one corridor building.

Peering at each other's schedule in hopes of having some common classes and found that they did share calculus and physics together as well as physical education and a shared study hall in their last period. Study hall was only twice a week which it alternated with their physical education, that was three times a week. The lunch time of half-an hour would over lap, so they would see each other for fifteen minutes during lunch time.

Nathan was concerned about his academic now that they had seen the school in person. The school's budget had to be small which would no doubt limit how much they had to offer for the students. Nathan knew without a doubt he was on the road to a medical field and he needed the proper schooling for that. He was unsure if this school would give him that.

Vin was in most of Ezra's classes and was instructed to be his guide while Buck was appointed to guide Nathan. Vin gloated that it allowed him to be ten minutes late for class if he and Ezra didn't share the same classes.

Buck added that it gave him more time in the hall to socialize but he didn't mind showing Nathan around. He took that time to ask Nathan if he was interested in going out to Hot Point that Friday Night and Nathan was hesitate but Buck won him over. Vin offered to come over to Ezra's house that day and Buck could take him home after dropping off Nathan.

At lunch, Vin showed Ezra to 'their' table, meaning a table that he and his brothers' ate at. They would arrive fifteen minutes before Buck and Nathan but would be leaving when Chris started his lunch so that the lunch room wasn't over populated. Ezra didn't think it was possible to over populate any given place with the amount of students inside the building.

As the food went, the school did offer fresh fruit and vegetables, which was a relief to Ezra because the main meal of spaghetti did not seem very appealing though Vin didn't seem to be bothered by it. Ezra walked with Vin to the table with their trays and he had happen to glance over catching the eye of the pretty Spanish girl at his grandmother's party. She glanced up and gave him a smile before turning back to her friends that were joining her for lunch.

"Do you know her?" Ezra nodded over to Inez direction once they had sat down at the table. He could had kicked himself though. Obviously the girl was at his grandparents' home so Vin would had known who she was especially in a small school like as this.

Vin looked over and nodded. "Inez? She's a grade above us. Buck's been trying to date her for what seems like a century now but guess she has higher standards then Buck." Vin forked up a large amount of spaghetti, pausing it in the air. "You interested?" He didn't wait for Ezra to reply. "She's sixteen, Ez. I'm not sure if she would be interested in a fourteen year old."

"I'll be fifteen next month, May twenty-first. That's only a year between us." Ezra frowned at his spaghetti, the sauce was extremely thick but it looked more like paste than sauce and it didn't have a good smell to it. He pushed it aside in exchanged for his fruit cup.

"I didn't know that." Vin folded up a piece of bread and swallowed half of it. He made a mental note on that, thinking his mom would love to throw a party for the first time on one of her grandchildren. "Still, most of the girls don't go out with under classmates. Must be an unwritten rule or something."

* * *

Having just received their schedule that morning at the school's admission office, they were unaware that they had gym class that day and had not brought the proper change of clothes. Couch Paul Nichols allowed them a free excused day, letting them to sit it out and watch the other students outdoors. His female counter-part for the ladies side was Coach Wendy, who was also known as the Nun to the school students due to her strict behavior.

It was in gym class where the family finally were able to reconnect, excluding JD who was probably enjoy his recess time.

Today was baseball and it was girls vs boys and both sides were excited about who was going to win the game, though there was no prize involved other than the friendly banter afterwards.

"It's coed day." Buck slapped Vin on the back smiling as they headed for the baseball field. Once in awhile the girls' gym class would merge with the boys', depending on the sport and what kind of contact it involved and if Coach Wendy agreed to the involvement.

"I know." Vin rolled his blue eyes. It was pretty obvious since the some of the girls were already out on the field. "How about you keep your eyes on the ball instead on the girl that's on base and maybe they won't win this time around?"

"The baseball field had been previous an empty field but Mr Banks or Big Lester, the owner of the Hot Point had donated some of his profit to help give the school the ability to turn the empty land into a baseball field. This allowed the football field to expand as well." Chris explained to his nephews. "Dad said he needed to write off something for taxes. Big Lester isn't really one to give up his money."

Vin, who braced a bat against his shoulder as he walked towards the field explained to Nathan and Ezra that the football field needed the expansion to commentate Buck's ego.

"That is where you are wrong." Buck was tossing a ball back and forth with Chris, over the younger boys' head. "It needed to expand so it could fit all my admiring fans!"

"I don't know." Chris gave Buck a sheepish grin. "You didn't do so good last season."

"What do you mean?" Buck stopped tossing the ball to glare at Chris. "I played damn well!"

"But the McCormick brothers played better." Chris gave him a shrug. "They won, didn't they."

"They did but let me tell you why since you had forgotten." Buck tossed the ball straight up in the air only to catch it was his glove. "The referees were calling everything on us but ignored their penalties. That's why they won!"

"There were some calls that weren't issued, I remember and I agree with you on that. But they played damn good." Chris gave his younger brother a teasing smile. "You...well, you could had played _better_."

"Who could had played better?" Sarah had jogged up to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. Chris gave her a wide smile and was bending down for a quick kiss when Coach Wendy blew her whistle and yelled about no contact. Sarah unwrapped her arms from his waist, putting a small distance between her and Chris but he still managed to give her a quick kiss, brushing his lips with hers.

"Coach Nichols!" The small group laughed on hearing the Nun yell to the male coach. "Harness up your boys!"

Coach Nichols looked around but he had miss the quick kiss and public display from Chris and having no idea what Coach Wendy was going on about, he threw a shrug in the air which only caused Coach Wendy to glare. It was always amusing to watch the two Coaches try to work together. Coach Nichols was a very patient individual and was probably most of the girls' first crush having that he would fill in for the elementary grades a time or two.

"She really is that bad." Nathan shook his head in disbelief.

"That's why she is the Nun." Sarah hooked her arm through Chris'.

"She needs to find some happiness." Buck whispered to Nathan. "I'm not sure which side she plays on but I think a little attention behind closed doors will do some wonders on the old gal."

"That isn't a solution for every thing." A voice said from behind them. They all turned to see a young blonde girl with her arms crossed. Ezra recognized her immediately, she shared more of his classes than anyone else of his grade. From those classes that he did share, he knew that not only was she intelligent but had a passion of her believes and how she saw the world. If asked, Ezra would say she saw it black and white. The small town gave her the illusion of what the world was like. If she ever left Four Corners, she would be in for quite the shock on realizing just how naive she really was.

He also remembers catching Vin's quick glances at the girl when she wasn't aware and to be fair, he couldn't blame Vin. The girl was very attractive.

Mary continued, "We have no idea what goes on in her personally life. She could be struggling with some serious personal issues for all we know. It's unfair for us to judge her when we don't understand her struggles."

"It's unfair of her to throw her frustration on us." Chris replied, pulling Sarah closer to him and kissing the top of her hair. She always smelled like strawberries.

"Well Mary. I think in this case I may be right." Buck turned his baseball cap backwards and gave her a wink.

Sarah shook off Chris and slipped her arm through the younger girl's own while looking over at Nathan and Ezra. "Mary is the in charge of the year book community as well as the school paper. Stephen Travis, her father runs the town's local paper but you may know her grandfather, Oren Travis?"

"I believe that name has crossed my path before." Ezra said dryly giving a glance at his brother. He knew there was something about her he didn't care much for.

"I'm Nathan and this is my brother, Ezra." Nathan introduced himself and his younger brother since Ezra seemed to forgotten his own manners, which was unlike him.

"I would love to give a little interview with the both of you. Our paper is rather small and the school rarely receive new students. A lot of students would be interested in knowing more about you." Mary inquired but both boys shook their heads 'no' in union with each other so she turned to look over at Vin. She would work on them as the year progressed. "Are you still going to summit your poetry?"

"Poetry?" Ezra grinned over at Vin, putting his arm around the other's neck. "Well I am surprised. I would never figure you as one of the prestigious romantic poetry type."

Vin gave Ezra a sour look, peeling the other's arm from around him. "Well, Ez...I thought you were cool. Guess we both figured each other wrong."

"I've sprouted out a few of his lines a time or two. The girls love it." Buck gave a playful wink at his brother, showing his support. It didn't help though, all it did was to cause a flush of red to appear on Vin's cheeks.

He wasn't one to go out seeking attention. He rather stay behind the scene. Maybe that's why he and Ezra hit it off so well. Ezra seem to thrive for the attention that he hides from. Vin gave Mary a sharp look. He would had rather she had kept that to herself as well. He had wanted to summit it under a false name as he still felt insecure about his work no matter how much she praised him.

Vin turned his piercing blue eyes on Ezra. "So I write a little poetry. So what?"

"Indeed." Was all Ezra said which didn't help because the others weren't sure if it was in mock or agreement.

"His work is very admirable." Mary glared at Ezra as she came to Vin's defense and Vin felt his the tip of his ears getting hot. He was glad his hair was shaggy enough to hid them.

"I am sure you are quite right." Ezra held up the palms of his hands in truce but the smirk didn't help smooth Mary's feathers and he was receiving a heated glare from Chris that made him think twice of edging further in discussion about the topic.

"I think it's great that you can put words together to tell a story, Vin." Nathan spoke up, trying to cease fire but he truly did mean what he said. "I don't have a gift for words and I was never one to be able to sit down to write a story. When you think about it, song writers are just that. Poets with a music talent. I haven't met anyone who doesn't appreciate some kind of music."

"Thanks, Nate." Vin mumbled but still was feeling insecure about the poetry. He really wish Mary had kept that to herself. In her defense, she probably figured since he was among family it would be okay.

Ezra stopped walking with the group and looked down at his leg. "I cannot go further." He pulled his jeans up a little, showing that the light was blinking meaning he was approaching his out of bound area.

The others stared at his leg for a moment and looked over to the field. They were nearly there but not so near that it would keep him out of trouble with his parole officer. Chris took off his cap and waved it at the male coach. The teacher waved back and finished speaking with a group of boys before going over to Chris, who took charge in explaining Ezra's issue with the device.

Nichols rubbed his chin as he thought. He had no experience with anyone who wore the GPS but he was aware of them. He also was aware, as most teachers were because no one could keep a secret, that Ezra had one on before the boy even showed up for class.

"I'm guessing its because the field is new and not updated with your mapping zoning. I can speak to the principle for you. See if she can contact who is in charge of um...this kind of stuff. Or maybe your dad can. Either way, we need to straighten it out. I plan on playing on the field a good bit." Coach Nichols gave a deep sigh of disappointment as he looked over at the other students' that had reached the field. "Do your stretches!" He yelled at the ones that were standing around. "Or I'll have you run laps!"

"I better get over there," Sarah nodded to where the girls were lined up for their own stretches. "See you boys on the field!"

"Would you be alright if you sat under the shade for today? I doubt things will be fixed within a week so next time I can give you a pass to the library until we get this sorted out." Coach Nichols pointed to one of the landscaping trees a few feet from where they stood. Ezra gave a shrugged and started heading over to the tree with Nathan and the coach following him. "You other boys go out to the field. Chris start warming up with some tosses to the guys."

Ezra made it safely to the tree with out his monitor signaling any more. He and Nathan settled under the birch tree, Nathan leaning against it's narrow trunk. It was about then when a lone boy jogged up to the group. He was more rounded than he was tall and had thin hair sticking to his forehead. He was frowning at Ezra and Nathan as they sat on the ground under the tree.

"How comes they don't have to sit on the bleachers?" The boy, in a whining voice pointed to the brothers as he spoke to the Coach.

"It's nothing that concerns you, Jack." Coach Nichols looked over at the newcomer. "Why aren't you dressed for gym?"

"Oh, yeah." Jack Widow dug into his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper. "It's my excuse for today."

Coach Nichols raised his eyebrows and unfolded the note from Mrs. Morgana Widow that was excusing Jack from participating in gym class, again. The Coach nodded his head as he folded the paper back up. He had received a lot of these notes from Jack's mother who was the head of the school board. What Jack wanted, Jack got and Jack did not want to take gym. Jack didn't like to do many things that caused him to work.

"Fine. Why don't you go over and sit on the bleachers?" Coach pointed to the baseball bleachers.

Jack looked over at the bleachers and back at Ezra and Nathan, dark eyes narrowing. "Why can't I sit in the shade? They are!"

"They are new and..." Nichols started to explain without giving too much information.

"Well if they can why can't I?" Jack glared at the brothers. "Why do they get to be treated to the shade and you are making me go out there in the sun! It's too hot to sit out there!"

Ezra looked over at Nathan who was shaking his head in disbelief. Nathan was all for protecting yourself from the rays of the sun but he knew a little would do some good too and this boy was pasty white, he doubted he was outside much at all.

"Fine. Sit. Enjoy the shade." Coach Nichols threw his hands in the air and turned to walk to the rest of the students.

The boy huffed down beside Ezra, giving him a glance over and then at Nathan. "I heard that you two were related to Chris and Buck Larabee."

"And?" Nathan asked coldly, not liking the other boy with his first impression.

"Well everyone knows they get away with stuff because their dad is a sheriff. Figured that's why you two don't have to sit over there." Jack made a gruesome noise in his throat, turned his head and spat on the ground next to him. Ezra shifted closer to his brother. "You adopted or something?"

"Why would you think I was adopted?" Ezra asked him, knowing that his comment was directed towards Nathan and not him. He could feel Nathan tensing up next to him, both knowing Jack was referring to Nathan's skin tone compared to the fair complexions of the Larabees.

"Not you." Jack pulled a face at Ezra. "That's such a fake accent. You need to work on it. I go to the Carolinas all the time for vacations and no one sounds like that. Besides, you are from New York. Everyone knows that too."

"We found a wise one among the crowd." Ezra looked over at his brother, a twinkle in his green eyes. "His wisdom is beyond our basic cognitive process level."

"Not that it is any of your business but I'm not adopted." Nathan leaned forward a little so he could give a good glare at the other boy sitting on the other side of Ezra.

"Yeah, right."Jack shrugged his shoulders and pulled a large bag of sugar candy out of his backpack he had carried outside. "Just a question. Gosh you're uptight."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "I'm going to get closer to watch the game. You mind, Ez?"

"No. Escape. Lord knows I would if I could." Ezra waved him forward and for once he wished he could follow is brother's footsteps.

"Hasn't your father told him that he was adopted yet?" Jack looked over at Ezra once Nathan had made it to the bleachers. "He must be stupid not to realize it. I think it's pretty obvious. Everyone does."

"We all cannot enjoy the intellectual mind that is dwelling within your cranium." Ezra lifted a brow, noting the clothing and the shoes the other boy wore were on the high end of the quality range.

The boy rolled his eyes, "Don't know why you keep talking like that. You can't fool me. I done told you that I traveled on my vacation. Your accent is so fake. Your not going to fool anyone with it. "

"As the saying goes, practice does make perfect, don't you agree?" Ezra rubbed his bottom lip. "However, you do seem to harbor traits of certain _amount_ of intelligence, I am left to wonder what kind of profession does your family maintain?"

Jack blinked at Ezra's words before putting a piece of hard candy in his mouth and started to crunch down on it. "You mean, what jobs do my parents have?"

"Precisely." Ezra leaned back against the tree trunk to study the boy a little more.

"Oh. Mom is the president of the school board and my dad is the town's mayor. Mayor William Widow." Jack told him with a smile. "My mom makes sure I have the best of very thing."

"I would assume you receive quite the allowance as well, am I right?" Ezra bit the corner of his lower lip, already knowing the answer and the wheels turning in his mind.

"How else am I going to buy what I want?" Jack rolled his eyes. He looked over at Ezra with a grin. "Bet I have more money than you do."

"I'm sure you do." Ezra smiled, pulling a deck of cards from his jacket. "Could I interest you in a friendly game?"


	3. No One Knows Trouble

**Authors Note: **

**I just wanted to take a moment and send out a heart felt thank you to you all. You guys are so amazing and so encouraging. It is so greatly appreciated. I don't wish any of you to feel as I am ignoring your responses. **

**Authors Note Ends**

* * *

Chris loved Sarah and he loved baseball. He licked his lower lip, knowing that he was going have to make the difficult decision. His team players were already hacking him, his masculine honor was at stake. Does he throw the game and give his girl an easy pitch, allowing the girls to make the final home run or…the boys around him started to make 'whipping' sounds, started by his little brother.

"Don't even think about it," Vin yelled from the outfield. "You a man or a whipped boy!"

"I would understand your actions but even I know there is a line you can't cross." Buck yelled from the other side of the outfield. "I believe the rest of the boys might feel the same."

Sarah smiled at him, giving him a playful wink as she swung the bat in a practice manner. Chris grinned as he dug into the loose dirt and was ready to make his pitch when a whistle blew not just once but three times and it was loud and long.

"Coach Nichols!" Coach Wendy screeched over at him. She was standing at the shaded tree, using her whistle to get the male coach's attention.

"Now what." Nichols groan out to himself. "Keep playing. You boys know how the sport goes!" Coach Nichols called out, clapping his hands together to keep the game moving. "Don't go easy!" He pointed a finger at Chris with a smile, before he jogged over to the tree. "I want to see you pitch that ball as if it was one of our opposing teams! She isn't your girlfriend. She is your enemy!"

"Damn it." Nathan groaned from the bleachers, covering his face with his hands. He took a deep breath before walking over to see what kind of trouble Ezra found.

"They were gambling!" Wendy crossed her arms in front of her. "Right here on the school's property!"

Jack looked up at the teachers with his mouth hanging open and a'uh' sound coming from his throat.

Coach Nichols frowned down at the boys, who were still sitting and then at the standing Coach Wendy. He could honestly say, he never had this happen before.

"We were merely simulating our minds with the use of cards, not actually gambling." Ezra quickly picked up the dollar bills.

Jack looked down at the cards between him and Ezra, "Then...Why are you taking my money?"

"Stimulating your minds, huh?" Coach Nichols knelt down to Ezra and Jack's eye level. "That's some imagination because it looks realistic to me."

"He's taking my money." Jack gave a fake sob and reached towards Ezra, managing to take a bill from his hand.

"Because you lost." Ezra hissed at him, taking the bill back from the other boy. "Sorely at that."

"But we were pretending and..."Jack honestly did look confused as he unsuccessfully reached out to grab at the money again but Ezra's hands were quicker.

"What part of 'you lost' are you not comprehending?" Ezra glared at Jack.

"It's illegal!" Coach Wendy nodded her head in agreement with her own words. "Illegal! And to do such a thing on school property! What are you going to do? They are your boys! None of my girls would ever do anything like...this!"

Coach Nichols adjusted his baseball cap. He wanted to tell Wendy that these were not his 'boys' but their students, yet it probably wouldn't do any good.

Nathan looked down at his brother in disbelief, throwing his hands out to his side before bringing them to cover his face in frustration. He had no idea what Josiah was going to do to Ezra once he got that phone call from the school.

"No. Not really. That's incorrect." Ezra stood up, dusting his jeans off and daring to address Coach Wendy. "In this jurisdiction it is legal to play with a small amount of cash among friends as long as the house doesn't take a percentage of the winning and in this case well, it's merely two friends playing an amiable game to pass a moment of time. Thus, we are not breaking the law."

Coach Nichols straightening up into his normal stance, his head shaking with a disbelief, giving a look over at Nathan who was hiding his face in his hands again. Nichols got the impression that Nathan has been in this spot before or similar and so has Ezra.

"Rubbish!" Coach Wendy eyes were still on the wild side from catching the boys up to no good. "You both are in big trouble! Detention! Suspension! Probably for the rest of the year!"

"I didn't do anything! I want to talk to my mom!" Jack blinked up at the two coaches, his face becoming red.

If Coach Wendy wanted to handle the situation by invoking fear into the boys, was working on Jack. The boy was about to spill real tears. Ezra seemed perfectly calm, Nichols was hoping he was doing a fair job of looking like he was too.

Ezra continued to kept his mannerism calm as he reached in his pocket to pull out the thin school's handbook that was offered to him that very morning. "I have taken the time to read this booklet and there is no place stating that it is against the school's policy to have a friendly game of cards, with yes, a small amount of money." Ezra flipped through the pages as he spoke. "I read all the pages."

"It doesn't matter!" Coach Wendy balled her hands together at her side. "It is illegal for anyone to gamble on the school's ground. And especially you!" She pointed her finger at Ezra. "Don't think for a moment that I don't know about your...your criminal behavior! I do. We all do."

"Please." Ezra held out the hand booklet towards the female coach. "Show me where it states that? It's like giving tickets for drivers not stopping at a traffic light which doesn't exist."

"Enough! Stop! Just stop now!" Coach Nichols held up his hands. "Let's keep our emotions civilized." A group of eyes gave a quick glance at Coach Wendy. "I am not going to toss about what is legal and what isn't. It isn't my job and it isn't your job Wendy. We are not going to stand here and argue with students."

"Debating. At least I was..." Ezra spoke out causing Wendy's eyes to almost pop out of her socket.

Nichols placed a gentle hand on Wendy's arm to keep her still, he really thought she was going to strike the boy. Wendy pulled her arm away from Nichols, scorching him with a heated glare as she did. "What I am going to do and what I have to do is turn you both over to Principle Macfee. So gather your stuff up."

"I want to talk to my mom!" Jack stood up and stomped his foot, tears cascading down his chubby cheeks. "If it isn't in the handbook like he is saying then I didn't do anything wrong! I am being mistreated!"

"I am sure you will get a chance to do just that." Coach Nichols reassured him. "It's just the Principle's office, not the county jail son."

"Jail!" Jack whimpered and Wendy huffed, thinking that is exactly where the boys should be.

"Coach!"

The coach turned to stare at the diamond and groaned on seeing a player down and Buck waving him over. He saw players huddling in a circle, a clear indication that someone had been injured. "Now what." He took off his baseball cap to run his hands through his hair. "Jack, take yourself and your new friend to the Principle's office."

"B-but..." Jack looked over at Ezra then back at the Coach.

"Now." Nichols raised his voice and waited for Jack to head for the building.

Nathan leaned over to his brother. "First day of school. Seriously! You couldn't make it through one day. Not one day!"

"Sorry I disappointed you, _dad_." Ezra glared at Nathan as Jack pulled on his jacket to get him to follow. "I'll do better tomorrow."

Coach Nichols and Coach Wendy made it back to the diamond to find Chris kneeling beside a fallen Sarah.

"It was an accident." Rosa Johns, one of the reminding friends of Ella's little group of girls who had not yet graduated from school nodded towards Sarah. "She was on first and my turn came up. I hit the ball and, well I got her on the shoulder. Sorry Sarah. Hope you're not hurting too bad."

"Cept you are on the girls softball team and we all damn well know you aim your balls." Buck whispered over her shoulder not believing for a moment that it was an accident.

"Heard the same about you." Rosa looked down at him with raised brows and a smile on her lips. "Maybe you and I should challenge that theory together."

With Chris' help, Sarah stood up on wobbly legs. "I'm fine." She gave him a small smile. "Really, I am."

"Let me see." Coach Wendy slowly pulled up Sarah's short sleeve to show a large welt that was already starting to turn colors. "That is not fine. We need to put some ice on that." Wendy turned a glaring eye at Nichols. "This is why I don't like my girls to play with your boys."

"It was your girl that hit her." Coach Nichols looked at her in disbelief.

"If you boys would had caught the ball, this wouldn't had happened." Wendy gently guided Sarah towards the school building. "Hit the shower girls!" She called over at them. "Come on Sarah. We'll get you an ice pack."

The girls groaned but picked up their stuff and headed towards the school as well.

"We got a few minutes boys!" Nichols clapped his hands together. "Split quickly and lets play ball!"

"She was targeted." Chris told his Coach once the crowed broke up. Buck, Vin and Nathan gathered around in a small circle.

"Rosa never hits balls over first base. She flies them into the outfields." Buck growled out. "She is an aggressive player and one of the best. She knew what she was doing."

"Look. It was an accident, boys. You know it happens in this game. You've been playing it for a long time." Coach Nichols rubbed the back of his neck. He was having a horrible day. "I agree that Rosa is a great player but we all have an off day. You don't strike players out every single pitch but I know you are a great pitcher, Chris. Buck, last year you played horrible."

"I played damn well!" Buck stared at the group in disbelief.

"Look. All I am saying is that Rosa hit the ball wrong and it accidentally hit Sarah on first base. It happens sometimes. It's why you play with helmets." Nichols bent down to pick up a baseball glove left behind from one of the girls.

"Come on. You don't really believe that." Chris knew Nichols was aware of the tension between Ella and Sarah. It was a small town and they were the biggest news.

"It was an accident. Sorry." Coach Nichols patted his shoulder as he walked towards the field.

* * *

It was almost six-thirty. The hand was counting down the last second and apparently so was his youngest son who hovered just outside of the doorway. Last week the new appliances for the kitchen had arrived so Josiah was able to make a suitable dinner for his small family. He wasn't a fancy cook, he knew that so he kept things simple and most importantly, edible.

Tonight's dinner, he went a little further and spent extra time in doing his best for their supper. Mashed potatoes, chicken, biscuits, and gravy with chocolate crème pie. He really outdone himself, considering lacking cooking skills. It was the boys' first day of school and he had wanted to hear about it over a good dinner, like a proper family. Well, what he thought was proper. But, he received his first call from the school and yes, he was disappointed.

Of course, Nathan had come home in a storm. Seeming eager to tell Josiah about what had happened. Josiah listen to him rant before asking him to finish his homework upstairs till dinner as he wanted to have a talk with Ezra.

Five seconds to go before the digital clock on Ezra's cell phone changed to six-thirty, the boy finally stepped over the threshold with a heavy sigh of burden that only a punishment held.

"Things are going to get a little more heavy hearted for you, son." Josiah beckon him to follow him with his finger.

Ezra let his backpack slide to the floor next to Nathan's backpack and slowly followed his father into the room that was transforming into an office space. Josiah swung his office chair away from the desk since it was in choas with boxes. He nodded to a hard back chair in the corner for Ezra to sit down at was across from the chair had sat on.

Ezra took a deep breath, sitting down on the chair Josiah had indicated and pulling his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees as watched Josiah.

"Want to tell me what happen today?" Josiah crossed a leg over his knee and leaned back on his chair, folding his hands in front of him to show that Ezra had his complete attention. "Because I would like to hear."

"I got up. I went. I learned. I came home." Ezra gave a shrugged. "Pretty basic school life, Josiah. Scarcely newsworthy, I should think."

Josiah nodded his head in agreement. "Think you may have missed something in there?"

Ezra pretended to think for a moment. He was very sure the school had called Josiah, probably couldn't wait to make the call in fact. Yet, if Josiah wanted to play games, Ezra would act the part. He slowly shook his head, giving a great impression of a child deep in thought. "Nope. I can't recall anything else I wish to tell you."

Josiah gave a small chuckle in disbelief. "Well let me rephrase the question. How about you tell me something you rather not tell me?"

"Good lord, I could have you up all night with a question like that, Josiah." Ezra gave his father a playful smile but Josiah shook his head, indicating it wasn't working. As quickly as it appeared, the smile faded as the boy rolled his eyes and he placed his feet on the floor. "Josiah it wasn't a big deal. They over-reacted."

"You were caught gambling." Josiah leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees now. "On school's property."

"It was hardly gambling. The boy didn't know what he was doing..." Ezra started.

"Which makes it worse. It's taking candy from a baby!" Josiah took a deep breath remembering that yelling wouldn't help him get through to Ezra.

"Someone should had taken his candy a long time ago, Josiah." Ezra grinned, which again faded with the heated look Josiah gave him.

Josiah stared at him, quietly and it rather made Ezra uncomfortable. He did much better when his guardians would yell, throw things, hit the wall, threaten, pace about while they muttered to themselves or throw their hands up stating that they give up. But none of them stayed quiet. None of them stayed calm. Ezra could hear the slow clicking of the clock on the wall, counting down the seconds, the minutes as Josiah seemed lost in his own mind.

"No electronics." Josiah finally spoke and nodded his head, as if he was agreeing with a voice within his own mind.

"No…," Ezra shook his head in puzzlement. "We didn't play with electronics. Just cards."

"That's good to know." Josiah stood up and held out his hand. "But I mean you are not allowed any electronics."

"What?" Ezra eyes widen in disbelief. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Unless it is for school work. Other than that, nothing." Josiah wiggled his fingers in a 'give-me' gesture. He really had no other option since Ezra was already on a curfew and now after school detention for two weeks.

"That is rather a harsh punishment for a petty game between um, well acquaintances." Ezra stared at his father's open palm.

"Ezra. Give me your cell phone, now." Josiah wiggled his fingers again.

"And if I don't?" Ezra eyes rose from Josiah's palm to meet his eyes. "If I refuse?"

"Let's not find out." Josiah whispered to him, his eyes cold as steel.

Relentlessly, Ezra lifted his hip, pulling his cell phone from his back pocket and handed it over to Josiah. He wasn't worried about Josiah digging through his information because of the locked code on the device.

"I want your laptop and your iPad and whatever you have." Josiah walked over to his desk, placing the phone in one of the drawers and locking it with his key.

"That's about it." Ezra mumbled.

"Don't you have a kindle? And your game station? A notebook as well, I remember seeing one of them." Josiah gave him a toothy grin. "And those little hand held games. I want them too."

Ezra narrowed his eyes at his father but didn't disagree. "How long?"

"As long as it takes for you to learn your lesson." Josiah folded his arms in front of him.

Ezra held up his hands, "Not to get caught gambling in school."

Josiah titled his head as he looked at his son. "I am not joking Ezra."

Ezra blew out his cheeks. "To give you at least twenty-five percent of whatever I collect."

"Son?" Josiah frowned but more in concern of what Ezra actually said.

"Fine. Seventy percent." Ezra sighed deeply. He hated parting with over half of his winnings but adults were never really sure how much he won so he could fiddle with the actual collection sum.

"No." Josiah ran his hands through his hair. This was one of the times where he got a glimpse of Ezra's past and it angered him.

Ezra furred his brows together and then as a light switched on inside his mind, his eyes brighten and snapped his fingers. "Not to gamble anywhere until I am of the proper age?"

"I understand. You know all the words I want to hear and unfortunately, others have wanted to hear as well. To you, it's just words without any meaning to them, you can't really understand it." Josiah's voice carried a slight sadness in it. "I spent all day digging up recipes, trying to make a great dinner. I had wanted to make it special for you boys. I wanted to hear what you learnt in school. If you met any friends or whatever excitement you had to share with me. You know, maybe you really enjoyed a certain class." Josiah put both hands on the back of his chair, leaning on it as he spoke to Ezra. Sharing his feelings of disappoint. "Instead, we are having this discussion."

"We did not need to have this discussion." Ezra now glared at Josiah. "You decided that, not me. I was perfectly content on minding my own affairs without you intruding."

"Intruding?" Josiah's echoed. "I am your father. You seem to keep forgetting that you are a child and I am the adult!"

"How can I forget what people keep telling me?" Ezra searched his father's face for some kind of direction. "I told you I won't gamble at school again. That's what you wanted me to say. What else do you want? Just say it?"

Josiah looked down at the seat of the chair he was bracing himself on, shaking his head and biting his lower lip.

Ezra gave a slight shrug of his shoulders at his father. "How about I'm sorry? I messed up? It won't happen again?"

"No." Josiah shook his head again and wondered why couldn't he find the right words. Why couldn't Ezra grasp what he was trying to explain. "Your not sorry. It's okay though, I wasn't looking for an apology. I wanted to share with you what I was looking forward to, is all. That your actions just don't have an impact on you. It has one on me too. I'm having trouble getting through your barriers, son. I'm not giving up though." Josiah nodded his head towards the door. "Go get the devices and then we are going to eat dinner. Together and you will eat."

"And here, I thought you were a more laid-back then this, Josiah." Ezra shook his head in disappointment, trying to turn the table of guilt that Josiah had thrown at him.

Josiah shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't going to take the bait. If the boy even felt a little bit of guilt for ruining his dinner, good. "You must had read me wrong. Go get the stuff."

Ezra gave a growl of frustration and made sure Josiah heard his heavy footfalls on the stairs towards his bedroom to comply with Josiah's demands.

"If boys are suppose to be easier to raise." Josiah mumbled to himself as he looked up at the ceiling. "Have mercy on the fathers with daughters."


	4. Not Me

**Author's Note: **

_Once more I deeply appreciate all the kind reviews and the encouragement to keep the story alive. I normally write up pieces of chapters on my cell phone - so it's more like texting a chapter but it's the only way I really have time during the weekdays to do such. Auto correct doesn't always catch the misused words or the spelling errors and I see them usually after I post the story. And sometimes, I am coping and pasting the chapters together and it over laps. I do realize, after posting of course, the errors are there and I apologies for them. _

_Also would like to add- i know everyone hates long winded author notes but- remember when I said the story was almost finished? It's because I like my stories short and simple, I usually never finished long chapter stories. Well, in this story Buck muse pretty much said 'Screw that' and he has taken me on a different road but the ending will be the same. Thus, the story will be much longer than I first thought. This is either a good news for the buck fans out there - depending if you like the plot. _

_Chris fans - I am terribly sorry. I have such a huge problem in writing for Chris. He is so challenging for me and I have been doing my homework, reading other stories surrounding Chris to help guide me but there is this wall between us. I can't seem to break through it. I do have a plot for Chris, you all are seeing a few hints of it but that won't be in this story. _

_Vin Fan - I have trouble with Vin as well but more so because out of all the characters, I feel as I am closer in personality to Vin than any other and that makes it difficult to write. I do have small things in store for him but nothing major. I even written a few poems for his place in my series - but that won't be in this story either. _

**END Author's note**

* * *

**Not Me**

Friday night had come faster than Nathan had thought. School had turned out to be favorable and Ezra, since the gambling incident, had been keeping a low profile.

Still, he really was not looking forward to the night out but at the same time, he found himself nervous. Having Josiah packing them up and moving them to a little spot on the great big earth was a fresh start for them all.

Unlike Ezra, Nathan wanted to make it a pleasurable experience. The town still had it's share of bullies and little groups believing they were cool with gangster persona but those little clicks were nothing compare to what he had witness in New York.

"You already tried that on." Ezra was laying on his back, hands clasped on his chest, his head dangled over the foot of Nathan's bed so he was looking at his brother upside down. "Orange is not your colour. It looks horrible on you. In fact, not many people can actually pull such a colour off. You really ought to blacklist it from your closet. With haste."

Nathan looked at Ezra's reflection in the mirror. "I'm not going to impress anyone."

"And yet that is the fourth shirt you tried on." Ezra replied with a grin. "Perhaps you are hoping to meet someone there to impress?"

"So what? It's why people go to clubs isn't it?" Nathan shrugged his shoulders.

"There are many reasons people go to clubs." Ezra pulled himself up on the bed to sit on it cross legged. "You are going because Buck suckered you into it and you perhaps you are curious and wish to study the art of having fun. You have a brilliant mind, I am confident you will be able to grasp the emotion of enjoyment rather quickly. Though, I expect you to only be able to harness it for more than a brief moment of time. Perhaps you will build up some kind of endurance that would allow you savor such an emotion longer."

"He didn't sucker me into it." Nathan frowned pulling out a yellow shirt. It was long sleeve but had thin material. "And I know how to have fun."

"People are packed into a building, Nathan." Ezra shook his head at the shirt with a wrinkle of his slightly freckled nose in distaste. "You will want something cooler. All that hot air will make you perspire, which will cause you to break out and I will never hear the end of your complaints."

"I don't complain." Nathan mumbled but did dig into through his pile of shirts since most of them were now on the floor. "What are you and Vin going to do? You can't do much seeing as you are grounded, curfew and got all your games taken from you."

"How thoughtful of you to think of my lack of entertainment for tonight. Rest assure, I will find something. For starters, I thought we would read up on your journal. You know, the one you keep boxed up in the closet under your stack of books." Ezra gave his brother a dimple grin.

"You been snooping through my stuff!" Nathan turned to stare at him with an accusing heated stare.

"I think this blue shirt would suit for tonight." Ezra picked up a nice simple button down shirt off the floor, giving it a toss to his brother to catch or get hit in the face with it. "Would go nice with those black jeans."

"You have been snooping!" Nathan tossed the shirt on the bed and made a lunge at his brother who darted out the door, jumped the rail to the fourth step and bounced down the rest before Nathan could make it out of his bedroom.

"I'm going to buy a safe!" Nathan leaned over the stair's banister, catching sight of his brother on the second landing. "That's what I am going to do!"

"Great. I need practice!" Ezra shot up a smirk but it quickly disappeared when Nathan started to shuffle down the stairs.

"Hey!" Josiah, who was in his room, popped out his head in time to see them speeding down the steps. "Stop fighting! And walk down the stairs. You two are going to fall." He gave Ezra a pointed look. "You stop hurling over the banister. You are going to break your damn neck!"

"He's been reading my journal!" Nathan pointed at his brother. "Even told me so!"

"I read a page." Ezra admitted and gave his father a sheepish look. "It was rather boring so I put it back."

"I want a safe! I can't keep anything private from him!" Nathan told Josiah.

"Ezra." Josiah rubbed his forehead with an on-coming headache. "Nathan's personal stuff isn't for you to go through. You want to read a book, go in the library. Those books probably hadn't been touched in centuries. Nathan, don't you need to get ready? Stop chasing your brother down the stairs." He pointed down toward the main floor. "You go that way." He pointed up the stairs. "And you go that way. Don't care which of you do which but you both go the other way."

"I still want a safe!" Nathan grumbled, turning around to go up to his bedroom.

Josiah turned to give his youngest a stern look. "It isn't right for you to go through someone's personal belongings."

"Just following the example of my dearest brother." Ezra leaned on the banister. "After all, he loves to tread into my personal affairs."

"He does it out of concern for you." Josiah ruffled Ezra's hair. "You do it for sport."

"I hear you." Buck set a large cup of cola in front of Nathan. Buck, Chris, Sarah and Nathan sat at corner table with their meal in front of them. Hot Point only sold the basic which was burgers and fries with soft drinks. Sarah and Chris were sharing a double booth seat, she was leaning into him, his arm draped across her shoulder. "Younger brothers are pain in the neck but eventually, they'll grow up and become pain in the ass. Except me. Naturally, I am amazing all the time."

"You keep telling yourself that." Chris winked at him. "But I have different stories that will say other wise."

"Easy for you to find humor in it." Nathan snorted, taking the drink. "Your brothers are respectful of your space."

"Who's been telling you that lie?" Buck's brows shut-up. "Whoever told you that needs to be horse whipped. Let me just ease your mind and put that story to rest. I have had them listen in on my conversation when I thought I was alone. I had them intentionally say a girl's name wrong to give her the impression that I was seeing someone else. I had them enter the bathroom while I was in the shower just to see what I was doing. They borrow my clothes even though they can't fit into them." Buck leaned back on his chair. "Vin's a hellion too. I had aftershave in my shoes. All my clothes dyed pick, which I pulled off while gaining the respect of all the ladies. He switched my man cologne for some rose petal smelling stuff. I had a soil full of worms in my underwear drawers. Snakes in my bed. He even purchased a box of ladies panties sent to me telling Mom that I prefer to wear them over boxers. I thought it was a special surprised and opened it right there during dinner."

Sarah looked up at Chris. "Remember my first date at your house. Vin put crickets in my popcorn and my coco was nothing but dirt and water heated up in a mug with marshmallows on top. I thought Chris was going to kill him."

"And he put hot sauce on my burger." Chris nodded his head in remembrance. "Mixed prune juice in my chocolate milk. And in glow-in-dark paint, wrote cowboy on all my shirts for blackouts. Little brothers are only conceived to torture us, Nate."

"And we still love them in the end of it all." Buck rose his own drink to his lips. "Still want to kill them but we love them."

"Oh. Excuse me for a moment." Sarah shot up, giving Chris a quick kiss on the mouth before leaving the boys for another group that had just entered.

"So how long have you been dating?" Nathan asked Chris, nodding in the direction Sarah had just left.

"Few years." Chris smiled to himself, stealing a glance in Sarah's direction. "Feels like forever though."

"After dating Ella, suppose it would." Buck mumbled.

"Ella Dubonnet, wasn't it? Kids at school like to talk." Nathan took a bite out of the burger he was eating. "I remember dad speaking about Emma Dubonnet and her daughters. They have been talking to each late at night. I think he may ask Emma on a date."

"I would advice you to stay away from the lot." Buck gave Nathan a serious look. "That family isn't made right. Either their well water went bad or there is something in the blood line. Either way, they will poison you."

"That bad?" Nathan frowned with disappointment. His father really seemed to like this Emma person. Maybe people were judging her wrong.

"A whole lot of bads." Buck looked up and grinned as Sarah swayed towards them through the crowd of people. "Hey you brought friends."

"Yeah." Sarah turned to the two girls next to her, both clearly sisters, having the same facial structure but Jade was much shorter than her younger sister, Rain. "This is Jade and Rain Creek." She introduced to Nathan. "And this is Nathan Larabee."

"Please, have a seat ladies." Buck scooted his chair closer to Chris and managed to grab two empty chairs from a near-by table for the ladies, placing them between him and Nathan. "Can I get you two something? Burgers? Drinks?"

"You don't have to buy us anything, Buck." Rain sat down next to Nathan and her older sister.

"Imala is getting our food." Jade pointed over to her boyfriend.

"Best get him a chair." Buck said with a mild disappointment. "I didn't know you two were still dating, Jade."

"Still strong as ever." Jade turned to her sister with an eye roll.

"Larabee?" Rain looked over at Nathan with a questioned looked.

"Our eldest brother, Josiah moved back. Seems he was hiding secrets." Buck stood up, giving his chair to Imala on his arrival and found a new one next to Sarah and Nathan.

"Really?" Rain looked over at Buck. "So he is your..."

"Nephew." The boys chorus together.

"That had to be a shock to your mother." Imala looked over at his friends with amusement. He was a good looking guy with raven color hair, he wore long and high cheek bones with thick lashes framing his eyes.

"She is floating on that grandma cloud." Buck chuckled, taking a drink of his own cola. "And enjoying every minute of it. Dad on the other hand is still trying to adjust to having two teenage grandsons that are the same age as his own boys."

"You three don't go to Four Corner's district?" Nathan questioned, not recognizing their faces from school and he knew he would had remembered Rain's face. She was breathtaking with her long dark curls and full mouth.

"We live on the Seminole Indian Reservation." Imala answered smiling as Jade, who didn't want fries, took large pinch of his fries. "You should get Buck or Chris to take you out one day. We have a museum out there."

"Oh, hey! yeah." Buck looked over at Nathan. "I forgot about that. Everyone who lives here has been to it a few times. We take it for granted. Usually there is a field trip in the elementary grade. You and Ez missed it."

"There was supposedly a small skirmish that had taken place there with a rogue confederate army, the tribe and seven gun men." Imala shrugged his shoulders. "The story is good and there are some

artifacts on display to make you believe in half the story but..." He gave a shrug of indifference. "Stories changes when it's passed down from one generation to the next so what actually had taken place and what was exaggerated is questionable."

"We should go out there." Sarah looked up at Chris with a smile. "It would be fun. I haven't been out that way in a long time."

"You sure? It's a long ride?" Chris looked over Sarah's head at Buck.

"We could do it on a weekend. Maybe visit Wells farm." Buck shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Jade and Rain. "Is Lolita still a free woman?"

"She is." Jade gave him a rueful smile. "But her father knows all about you."

"Maybe Buck doesn't know who her father is." Imala gave his friend a playful smile. "He's the one that practices knife throwing every night."

"Mastered it." Jade laughed at the worried face Buck was making.

"I'd like to see it." Nathan was curious. He never actually been to an Indian Village and the history of the place did seem like an interesting one. Perhaps he had a little of his father's blood in him when it came to history. It also gave him a reason to visit Rain and he was hoping she would welcome his visit.

"You are from New York?" Rain turned slightly in her seat so she could study him better. "You accent."

"Oh yeah. I forget that I sound different from everyone else." Nathan was glad that he did wear the cooler blue shirt Ezra had thrown at him because he could feel his face heating up. "But yeah. I'm from New York."

"Was your former home small as Four Corners?" Rain asked, not assume that he came from a major city in New York like most people do.

"No." Nathan chuckled at the question. "I have never seen a community this small before leaving New York. That's a um...it's a pretty necklace." He pointed at a deep blue stone on a thin chain.

"Thank you." Rain reached down to pull it forward for him to see. "I made it. Well not really. I just put the two together."

"You do a lot of that?" Nathan asked, smiling at her shyness.

"I like to do some jewelry making but I am more interested in become a doctor." Rain explained.

"Me too." Nathan's smiled widen. "I am looking towards primary care specialist. Help in a large field. What about you?"

Rain looked over at Buck in warning. "A gynecologist. I like the idea of helping my sisters of the world, making sure they get the proper care and help in the delicate situations."

"I bet you would be real good at that." Nathan said honestly.

Buck nudge Sarah in the side. "You playing match maker on purpose?"

Sarah shook her head with a large smile. She honestly wish everyone could be as happy as she was when she was with Chris. When he was around, seemed the world was perfect. "I wish I could take the credit but it must be fates that need to take the recognition."

"Got company, Buck." Chris nodded to a young blonde headed towards their table.

Buck looked over his shoulder, his famous smiled spreading on his face. "Hey, Lucy. How are you? I haven't seen you around for awhile."

"Hi." Lucy smiled shyly at the group and they all waved or voiced their greets in return. "Hey, could I talk to you Buck?" She looked around the table nervously. "Alone?"

"Why sure." Buck pushed himself from the table, winking at the others. "Don't wait around for me."

"Your my ride home!" Nathan reminded him.

"You'll get home." Chris told Nathan but eyed Buck. "Even if I have to drive you myself."

Buck followed Lucy outside and around the corner of the building, giving them a little privacy from those they were hanging around outside in the front entrance.

Lucy stopped walking and turned around as she fiddled with her finger nails.

Buck leaned a shoulder against the wall with a bemused look. "What's up Lucy. You sneaking me away from my friends and getting me out here all alone. I won't stop you from taking advantage of me."

"I..." Lucy stop and bit her lower lip. "Well I um…."

Buck took a step closer to her, caressing her arm and softened his voice. "I don't mind. Not the first time we've been alone, now is it?"

"Buck," Lucy started again, staring up at him. "I'm pregnant."

Buck quickly dropped his hand from her arm and backed away. "You're pregnant...with a baby?"

Lucy nodded her head. "Uh-huh. That kind of pregnant."

"Well...wow." Buck crossed his arms and then uncrossed him, then crossed them again. "That's some news. You look...good for getting pregnant and...yeah. That there is some news."

"I'm not that far along." Lucy swallowed nervously, absently placing her hands over her stomach.

"Uh...Well. You will be a great mom. Congratulations." Buck reached forward and patted her arm but kept a distance that two people could had filled. He suddenly wanted to put a whole lot of spacing between them.

"I thought you should know." Lucy explained, she step towards him and he step back. "You are the first person I have told. My parents don't even know."

"Shouldn't the father be the first to know?" Buck used his hands to indicate her stomach area. "It being his and all."

"That's what I thought too." Lucy nodded again once more, her anxiety clearly showing as she step closer. "That's why I told you."

"Do you want me to tell him for you?" Buck held his hands in the air, taking two steps back. "I can't do that. It's not my place. You should do that yourself."

Lucy blinked her eyes rapidly now understanding that they weren't on the same page. "It's you. You're the father, Buck."

"Me?" Buck shook his head, finally understanding what she is telling him. "Me! No. No. Oh no! You got the wrong guy. I mean you weren't no...well you know. We only did it but a few...I wasn't your first and all and we...hey I know! You have your charts mixed up or something. Yeah, that's it! You're just... late!" He snapped his fingers. "That's what it is! You're just late. Got your math all wrong or something. I betcha it'll come real soon!"

Lucy nodded her head. "I'm late because I'm pregnant. I took the test four times, Buck."

"Take it again! There was probably a mix up." Buck backed away from her some more. "Maybe you read it backwards or something. Or...or it expired. Those things aren't always right, right? I am not that….I'm not the father! No. I can't be..No!" He turned around shaking his head as he walked away. "Not this guy."

* * *

Ezra pushed on the side of what appeared to be a built in book case but once he had slid it over, a small tunnel was on the other side.

"This is the coolest house ever!" Vin grinned with wide eyes.

Ezra shrugged a little. "It just leads to another room in the basement."

"Can we look?" Vin asked, already half way through it but stop to look at Ezra's monitor. "Or will that get you into trouble?"

"Relax. The mapping does the dimensions of the house and this room is within the structure of the wall as well as my balcony." Ezra handed him a flashlight, having brought two. He turned so he could slide the panel back in it's former spot.

"Your balcony doesn't count?" Vin asked surprised, since it was outside of the house.

"Nope. Took a chance yesterday evening, never went off. A small pleasure it has turned into. I suppose if it was protruding away from the structure it may had been an issue but it's level with that side of the house. The mapping system sees it as part of my bedroom." Ezra started to lead him through the passage way and down some narrow wooden steps covered in years worth of dust.

"How did you find this?" Vin asked. He was loving the idea of exploring the place and finding something like this, it was unexpected and exciting.

"I saw the grooves on the floor." Ezra shrugged, indicating it wasn't a big deal. "I lived in a place that had similar marks."

"You think this was used for the underground?" Vin asked.

"Either that or not that." Ezra batted at a cobweb in front of him.

"Great answer," Vin mumbled.

"I mean to say is that it may have been a place to keep owned slaves or help maybe free slaves. I suppose it could had started as keeping owned slaves only later used to turn it into helping them at some point. Then again, it could had been used as something simple as a place for staff to come and go without being seen. Either way, it just leads to a small, empty room within a corner of the basement."

"You think there are more passages though out the house?" Vin asked, finally seeing the empty room Ezra had spoken to him about. He smiled when his flashlight went to the floor where Ezra had previously wrote 'Ezra was here' in the dust.

"I'm sure there was one in the kitchen but it may had been walled up. I haven't found the other end to that. If it was for the purpose of servants, there would be one in the master's bedroom as well but I haven't found it yet either." Ezra looked down at the floor where Vin's was casting the light at. "It's only a matter of time before Josiah finds this and, well I thought he'd get a kick out of the message." Ezra explained.

He walked over and pushed against a small door that he had to duck under to leave the area. Vin followed him and as Ezra had stated, it lead to the basement.

"I wish we had some blue prints of this place!" Vin walked over to explore the basement. There were some boxes and chests with a large amount of dust on top that indicated that it was left behind from the former owners. "Have you looked through any of these?"

"Some." Ezra knelt down at one box. "This belonged to a pilot, maybe world war one." He gave a shrugged but handed Vin an aviator hat with googles attached to it. "I'm only guessing from pictures I had seen from that time period. Josiah would be able to say for sure. He has remarkable memory of a past he never lived through."

"Does Josiah know about these?" Vin pointed to the boxes around him. "He won't mind us going through them, would he?"

Ezra knew his father had been down here and was taking care to go through things as well. Josiah would bring some of his loot upstairs to share with his sons. He was so excited with his treasure that the boys allowed him to chatter on about each object like a child during Christmas. "He knows and he won't mind us looking through the stuff. We just need to be careful not to break anything."

"Where does that door lead?" Vin nodded to an old wooden door under the stairs of the cellar.

Ezra glanced up to where Vin shined his light. "Wine cellar. There is still wine in there."

"Really?" Vin looked down at Ezra with wide eyes. "Wish we could look inside but I bet it's locked up. I never seen a wine cellar before."

"Josiah is keeping it locked up." Ezra grinned up at Vin with the pure look of mischief. "But the lock is old and rather useless." Ezra walked over, pulling two small metal sticks from his back pocket. He knelt on one knee in front of the door, placing the metal sticks into the lock. "For today and today only, I will grant you this one wish."

"Ez." Vin gave a warning to the other. "Maybe we shouldn't."

"It's just a wine cellar." Ezra heard the magic click and with a smile, pushed on the door and walked through. "Not like we are breaking into a bank's vault. Besides, if Josiah didn't want me inside he would had replaced the lock with a better standard. Though, that wouldn't kept me out either."

"I'm thinking that locking the door would had been a pretty damn good clue that he didn't want you in here." Vin never-the-less stepped slowly in, peering at the special made shelves that held a few dust covered wine bottles. "You think any of these are good?"

"I'm sure they taste dreadful." Ezra picked up a bottle and brushing off the dust and spider that was dangling down to read the label. "Nineteen-thirty seven. It's homemade. You can tell by the label. I suppose it could go for a good amount of money because of the year or it can continue to stay here and collect dust and greater value. The bottle is probably worth more than the alcohol inside."

"How do you know that?" Vin looked at the bottle Ezra had in his hand.

"Step-father number two owns a winery. Mother thought it would become useful information for when I became adult and press me to learn what I could." Ezra carefully put the bottle back down. "I think she still owns some of it's stocks."

"Have you ever tasted wine?" Vin asked curiosity.

"Mother allowed me a sip from time to time." Ezra wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Nothing as old as these but I would be afraid to drink from one of these bottles."

"You didn't like it, I take?" Vin walked to the other side of the shelves, picking up bottles and placing them carefully back.

"I suppose it's one of those required taste." Ezra followed him. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't drink wine."

"My parents never would allow me a sip. 'Not till you are older', they keep saying." Vin gave a shrug as he headed out of the little cellar. "Guess I'm not missing anything, am I?"

"Not at all." Ezra shut the door behind him and followed Vin back over to the boxes.

"But these boxes are pretty interesting." Vin held up a photo in black and white with a group of men wearing guns, when he flipped it over the only message written on it was 'the seven'. "Who do you think they were?"

Ezra gave it a glance but shook his head as he started searching through another box. "No idea. Maybe founders of this small town before it is what it is today. Looks like a dust town by the photo. Poor forgotten souls to end up here. Could you imagine what it must had been back during the time that picture was taken? Probably could fit the entire town on a school bus."

"I don't know. They seem happy enough. Cept that cowboy seems to be bad-ass." Vin studied the picture some more before putting it carefully aside. He started to search some more when Ezra held up a paper.

"Recipe for moonshine." He laughed. "I'm guessing during the Prohibition Act." He skimmed the ingredient with a small humours smile. "That stuff had to be potent. I bet I could sell this on eBay for twenty dollars."

"You seriously going to sell that?" Vin asked in disbelief. "What if some kid buys it?"

Ezra snorted. "No, I will not be selling it on ebay. Just a thought spoken out loud. Josiah will find it and burn it then spread the ashes all over god's creation. Besides, I am banned from using electronics till….whenever Josiah feels I have 'learnt' my lesson."

"It was rather stupid thing to do." Vin studied his nephew. "You should had known you were going to get caught."

"If I knew I was going to get caught, I wouldn't had done it. How was I to know that Coach Wendy would feel the 'need' to check up on us?" Ezra glared over at him. "It isn't like I said to myself, 'Gee I wish Josiah would take my electronic devices from me. Maybe I should get into trouble so he would do just that."

Vin picked up a baby shoe that he found in the box and threw it at the other boy, hitting him in the back of the head.

"Ow." Ezra looked down at the baby shoe, than at Vin while rubbing the wounded spot.

"Why do you have to be a smart-ass." Vin muttered, digging once more through the boxes.

"I refuse to be a dumb-ass." Ezra threw the shoe back at Vin, but missed him and hit the wall instead.

Vin chuckled. "Nice toss. For a smart-ass you sure throw like a dump-ass."

"Shut-up." Ezra muttered, standing up and dusting off his jeans. "This is getting rather boring."

"I could eat." Vin stood up, dusting off his own jeans.

Ezra glanced at Vin's stomach in awe. "We just ate a half an hour ago."

"Still hungry." Vin shrugged his thin shoulders.

Ezra studied him for a moment, glancing down at Vin's stomach a few times. "Has it ever accrued to you to be examined for parasites? That would shed a light on where the food you do devour is stored."

"What? No. I'm a normal growing teen." Vin poked Ezra on the shoulder before heading towards the stairs that would lead out of the basement. "Your the odd one."

"You ate a whole pizza and four donuts!" Ezra held his hands out to his side in disbelief. "And ice cream! In one sitting!"

"Half an hour ago." Vin reminded him with a smile. "Now I'm hungry again. Think there is any more pizza left?"

Ezra shook his head with unspoken word of no. Between the three of them, the two pizzas they did order disappeared. "We have popcorn and James Bond movies or Avengers."

"Are you allowed to watch movies?" Vin questioned him. "When I get grounded, I don't get TV."

"Hell, I don't even know if I am allowed to use the microwave it being digital and such. Guess we can find out once I turn the television on." Ezra followed his uncle up the stairs and turning off the light on his way out.

"Or you could just ask." Vin pushed opened the door, finding them to be in the entrance hall of the house. "I mean about the TV. I am sure you can use the microwave. Besides, it's bad enough that you didn't tell him I was coming over today. Why press your luck any more?"

"Josiah would had made me call you to reschedule." Ezra reminded him. "And today would had turned out horribly boring for me."

"Well, I'm glad I can entertain you but don't you get tired of getting in trouble, Ez?" Vin asked leading the other into the kitchen.

"I don't seek it out." Ezra pulled himself up on the counter, watching as Vin searched for the popcorn.

"You sure about that?" Vin pulled out the microwave popcorn, taking one from the box and placing it in the microwave. "Seems as you like to push your luck as far as it can go."

Ezra opened a cupboard beside his head and pulled out a large bowl. "Of course I am. Why would I want to get caught? I rather get away with it."

"For attention?" Vin leaned against the refrigerator while the microwaved did it's job. "You seem to like that too."

"Is that how I appear?" Ezra lifted a brow up. "It wasn't my intention."

"Or maybe you do it so people think the worse of you. Keep everyone from expecting any thing else from you?" Vin pulled the microwave open on the sound of beeping. "Then, well they can't be disappointed when you make mistakes. I mean, they would never hold any positive expectation of you, would they?"

"Do you want to watch a movie or continue your charade of being Doctor Vin and falsely analyze me all evening?" Ezra pushed the bowl towards him so he could placed the fresh popcorn in it. "I'm starting to find you rather annoying."

Vin's eyes sparkled, "Touch a nerve did I?"

"Nonsense." Ezra glared at him.

"Hm." Vin grin thinking differently. "Whatcha have to drink?"

"Whatever is in the refrigerator." Ezra slipped off the counter and opened the refrigerator, Vin peering over his shoulder. "Tea, it's horrible. It's Josiah's impression of sweet tea and it polluted with a whole bag of sugar. Bottled lemonade, it's alright. Bottle water and a few bottles of cola."

"Give a the lemonade." Vin pointed to the bottle. Ezra handed him the lemonade over his shoulder and taking a bottle of water for himself. "So whatcha do anyways to get your ankle collar? You never told me?"

* * *

"Hope he wasn't too much trouble for you." Buck watched from Josiah's door as Vin got into the jeep.

"No, no trouble at all." Josiah leaned against the door. "The boy can eat."

"He can do that. Does it real well too." Buck chuckled still watching his younger brother. "Not sure where he puts it though."

Josiah studied his brother for a moment. He had a lot to learn about his brothers but one thing was obvious, Buck was not himself. "Did you have a good night out Buck?"

"Oh yeah. I always do." Buck turned a big grin to his eldest brother but that shine wasn't quite there. Whatever Josiah saw, Buck realized it too. "Guess I may have something on my mind, though."

"Anything I can help you with?" Josiah lowered his voice, never knowing where any of his sons' were and there were some things a person should have being heard to say.

"No." Buck ran his hands through his thick hair, a nervous habit of the Larabee male line. "You got enough on your plate. I don't want to add to it."

"I never have too much when it's family." Josiah made sure he caught his brother's eyes. "Can't promise I have the answers but I can listen and I'm good at keeping secrets. Look how long I kept my two and they weren't easy to hide."

Buck nodded his head and licked his lower lip. "I suppose I just need to think this on my own for a day or two but I will keep you in mind."

"I hope you do." Josiah said with sincere.

"Well." Buck nodded to the jeep that Vin was already inside, waiting patiently. "Best get on the way. It will be midnight by the time we get home."

"Text me when you do get home. I'll be up most of the night." Josiah told him. It was a lie, he will be up long enough to know his brothers made it home safely but sometimes, small white lies don't hurt.

"Will do. Have a nice night." Buck bounced down the steps and glancing up, he waved to Ezra who perched himself on the rail of the balcony, the leg that was monitor stayed on the floor so he wouldn't set off it's alarm. "Night Ez!"

Ezra gave him and Vin a nod before they drove away. Both he and Josiah watching the lights of the jeep fade out.

"Don't stay up too late." Josiah yelled from his spot at the door, looking up at the ceiling of the porch as he spoke. Ezra's perching spot was invisible because of the roof over the porch but Josiah had seen him there enough times to know where he was at.

"It's not even eleven-thirty." Ezra called out from above.

"I'm starting to think you just want to have the last word." Josiah sighed heavily. One day, being a father will have to be easier. It just had to be. "But I love you for it all the same."

"Good night, Josiah." Ezra called down in his lazy drawl.

Josiah smiled to himself. "Good night, son." He took a deep breath of content, closing the door behind him. Once he knew Buck and Vin made it home safe, he was going to sleep and sleep in at that.

Ezra listened for the sound of the front door closing before he reached under the siding of the house to pull out a box of cigarettes and lighter. He light one of the sticks up and glared at the latrine – correction, tool shed. He took a deep inhale and exhaled out cloud of smoke, he was going to have to do something about that eye sore.


	5. Romantic Ideas

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

I am receiving such wonderful reviews, thank you sooo very much for them! I love them all. AND I am so excited that so many people are interested in this story!

I don't like to give out spoilers but some are you are correct. There will be Ezra vs the tool shed but all in good time. The timing isn't right at the moment but it will be a major event.

Yes Buck did not behave right, I agree but the news was a shock to him so I allowed him to behave poorly.

Also, I ended that last page too soon. I wanted to included Nathan and Chris' piece but I rushed it for a planned family thing. I am adding it now because though it is small it is important just the same. It just doesn't flow right with the chapter.

**END AUTHOR'S NOTE.**

* * *

Nathan laid on the top of his blankets, smiling up at the ceiling. Rain. He couldn't think of a prettier name. He looked down at his cell phone when it made a soft chime, his smile turning into a large grin.

'_Hope you made it home safe.'_ It read. Yeah, that was a huge smile on his face. He sat up on the bed and hunched over to text ,saying that he did and glad to see that she did too. He took a deep breath and quickly texted, '_When can I see you again?'_

'_Next Friday?' _Rain text back. _'Same place?'_

'_I will be looking forward to it.' _He typed into his cell phone and did a quiet air pump with his fist. It wasn't a date but it was a clear signal she was interested. He fell backwards on the bed, smiling up at the ceiling. He felt like he was the luckiest person in the world.

* * *

Her mother had run off with another man while she was only eight years old. When he wasn't drinking, her father worked the night shift at a warehouse. Usually, she was alone at nights. Not that she minded because it also gave them some time to be alone and she loved being alone with him.

He only was planning on kissing her for the night. Just a little good night kiss was all he wanted. One was never enough, not with her so he kissed her again. She put her hands up against both of his cheeks and pressed closer to him. So, he kissed her a third time and she moved her arms around his neck. The forth kiss lingered and deepened. The fifth kiss was pure mutual hunger and he was no longer in the doorway. The door had found a way of slamming shut, which one did the shutting didn't matter.

He found a wall in the frenzy and pressed her back against it. She pressed closer to him and he held her tighter. His lips moved away from hers, traveling down her neck to her shoulder. Her head arched back to allow him more access, her leg raising up to his hip. She could feel the coolness of the hard wall behind her and the warmth and the firmness of him in front of her.

"Bed." Chris nipped at Sarah's earlobe as he growled out that one word. He hoisted her up so she could wrap her legs around him as he carried her up the stairs, still craving each other, still tasting each other as they made their way.

Neither noticing the darkness of another person peering through the window with a look of hatred.

* * *

Ezra squinted against his dark surroundings, trying to make out shapes of what was before him though in his mind he already knew what they were. It was dark enough that objects were warped out of focus. There was a light mist in the air, he could feel it against his face and neck and though the temperature was mild, he could hear the sounds of summer dying. Everything was familiar to him. The path he took, he knew it by heart but it was the pounding sound that seemed to echo in his head that put him on edge. It wouldn't stop. He covered his ears to block the sound out but it was useless.

"Ezra!" Nathan yelled at him.

Ezra's eyes flew open to be greeted by Nathan's face looming down at him. He blinked his eyes and stretched in his bed. The sound of pounding could still be heard but not so loud as it had been a moment ago.

"How you can sleep through Dad pounding is beyond me." Nathan shook his head. "Dad wants to go get some shopping done. Figured you may want to come along, maybe find something that you are willing to eat."

Ezra pulled himself into a sitting position, still blinking back the dream. From somewhere below, he could make out the steady rhythm of a hammer. "What is he doing?"

"Putting up trimming in the 'Sitting' room." Nathan told him, giving Ezra's hair a rumble. "Looks as you barely slept. What time did you get to bed anyways?"

"I don't recall." Ezra frowned.

"I got coffee and toast downstairs so hurry up." Nathan slid his hand from Ezra's hair to his forehead briefly, not feeling a fever.

Ezra yawn loudly but nodded his head, not realizing what Nathan had done or noting the concern look Nathan had given him.

* * *

"Buck!" JD pushed against his older brother, who was still hiding under the covers. "Buck, wake up!"

Buck groaned, folding the nice warm blanket away from his shoulders to see his baby brother staring at him with deep dark eyes. "What is it JD?"

"I'm bored." JD whined, climbing on his brother's bed and laying his head next's to Buck, sharing his brother's pillow. "Can we do something today? Anything?"

"Like what?" Buck freed his arm from the covers and stretched them over his head.

"Fishing?" JD looked up with a smile.

Buck covered a yawn while shaking his head. "Not really feeling like fishing today."

"We could um," JD tapped his chin in thought. "How about a jeep ride in the mountain?"

"Dad has the jeep. We are stuck at home this afternoon." Buck pushed himself to a sitting position and leaned against his headboard wearily. His mind starting _t_o wake up and memories of last evening came crashing back like a bad blow to the head_._

He had left her. He had walked away from Lucy and he never looked back. The news was a shock and not the good kind but what kind of man was he to leave her like that. He acted like a frighten little school boy. He should had stayed. He should had talked it through. At least tell her he had to process it all but he would get back to her. "I'm an ass-hole." He mumbled to himself. "A fucking ass-hole."

"Huh?" JD looked over at him, not sure what he had said.

Buck glanced down at him, giving him a smile while reaching over to mess his brother's hair up. "Why don't you give me a few minutes to pretty myself up, then well, how about we take the dirt bikes out to the field?"

"Yeah!" JD sat up, bouncing on his knees on Buck's bed. "I'll tell Vin!" He raced out of the bedroom yelling for his other brother.

Buck scratched his own bedhead and gave another yawn. He glanced over at his bedside clock, it was nearly noon. He wasn't one to sleep in so late but last night, well it wasn't easy to find sleep.

He reached over to unhook his cell phone from the charger and strolled down a long list of names till he found Lucy's phone number.

'_Sorry about last night. News shocked me. Can we talk?' _ He texted her and then, he set the phone back down. He wasn't sure what the hell he was going to do but, yeah they needed to talk. He was aware of that. He also knew he had to man up and get his shit together.

With a growl, more for his self stupidity, he put his feet on the floor to get the day started. For a moment all he could do was to stare at his bare feet. Him a father. Well wouldn't that beat all. He loved kids but he loved when they went back to their ma's and to their pa's and he could carry on.

"One step at a time, old Buck." He told himself. "Talk to her and then...well that's the first step."

He gathered his clothes for the day, walking into the hallway in his boxers as he made his way to the shared bathroom. The good thing about over-sleeping was there wasn't a line for the toilet.

"Hey, sweetie!" Natalie smiled at Buck as he quietly came down the steps. She was sitting on the window bench near the front door with her kindle in her hand. "Not like you to sleep so late. Your younger brothers are already outside getting the bikes out and fueling them up."

"Thought they would be." Buck gave her a kiss on the cheek. "But I need fuel myself. We got anything to eat?" He didn't expect her to make him a meal, being so late in the day.

"There is some chicken from last night and some apple pie." Natalie told him, going back to her kindle. "How did Nathan like the club?"

"I think he is smitten with Rain Creek." Buck winked at his mother. "Think she may have a liking to him too."

"Really!" Natalie put her kindle down and stared at her son.

"Chris out already?" Buck asked as he headed for the kitchen for some food.

"He had to go into the garage earlier than scheduled. One of the Smith boys called in sick." Natalie explained while she followed him. "But let me hear about Nathan and Rain! She is so adorable! I never thought about her and him but it makes perfect sense!"

Buck opened the refrigerator, taking out the milk, yesterday's chicken and pie. He was hoping his older brother was about but then again, he really didn't want to put this out in the open just yet. Chris was good at that. He could be there and not inquire why he was needed. It was his presence that gave Buck comfort.

"It was like watching two friends reuniting with each other." Buck placed his arm around his mother, bringing her closer to him as he heated his food in the microwave. "They were pretty as a picture too. Nice looking couple."

"She is such a sweetheart." Natalie eyes shined in delight. "I hope it works out for them."

Buck kissed the top of his mother's head. "They talked the whole night. Even exchanged phone numbers before parting ways."

Buck heard the soft chime of his cell phone and took it from his pocket, reading the text.

'_When ever you are ready'_ was all it read. He took his food out and started working on it in a hurry to get outside with his brothers.

"And who is texting you so early?" Natalie raised her brows at her son.

"Lucy." Buck gave a shrug while he chewed his food. "I think I may see more of her."

"Lucy? Really?" Natalie was surprised. She would prefer to have Buck settle for one female like Chris but, the boy liked to roam about. "Blonde, long hair?"

"The voice of an angel." Buck offered.

"Oh that one!" Natalie really couldn't offer more. She never really got to know anyone Buck dated since he never kept a girl longer than a weekend but it was a small town so everyone knew who everyone was if not by name. Lucy though, she sang in church and had a wonderful voice.

"Best get out to JD and Vin before they find some trouble." Buck took some bottled waters from the fridge with him for his brothers.

* * *

Late afternoon, John Larabee found himself visited by Judge Travis and his granddaughter, Mary.

John handed Orin a glass of fresh lemonade and sat in the empty chair beside him. They both took a deep breath, enjoying the country pace as they watched John's boys speed through the field full of dirt tracks of hard use of their motor bikes.

Mary had came along with her grandfather for her own agenda. She wanted to encourage Vin further into submitting one of his poems. She knew why he held back. The little taunts from Ezra were harmless but did have an effect on Vin and boys had their 'tough' image to hold onto, especially high school boys. Vin had a harder time at it. He didn't have Buck's boasting and overly cheerfulness and he didn't have Chris' 'don't fuck with me' personality.

Instead, he was a skinny, lanky, dyslexia, poetry writing teenager who rather stay in the background of the scheme of things and it made things a little harder for him.

JD stopped his little bike and took his helmet off to wave to Mary, who was standing next to the fencing post. "Vin!" He turned his dark head in Vin's direction, waving his arms.

Vin and Buck carefully pulled up next to JD, turning off his bike and looking to where JD was pointing.

Vin gave a shrug, "I don't know why she's here."

"Don't you little brother?" Buck gave a warm laugh. "She isn't here to see me. Doubt she is here to see JD."

"Hey!" JD took it for an insult at first, then shook his shaggy dark hair. "Nah, she ain't coming to visit me."

"Maybe she want's Mom for something." Vin looked at Buck, hoping his cheeks weren't turning red.

After losing her mother to cervical cancer five years ago, Natalie took Mary under her wing. She had always wanted a little girl and Abigail Travis was a good friend of Natalie. It was only right the two made a quick bond, both needing each other.

"She wouldn't be walking in our direction if she wanted Mom." Buck ruffled Vin's head, though his hair was always in a shaggy state so it made no difference to Vin. "And not with Casey's helmet. Come on JD. Race you to that old tree."

JD quickly put his helmet back on and took off before Buck could say 'go'. "

Vin, having his brother sped off, was left waiting on Mary as she approached him.

"Hey." Vin gave her a small smile once she was about three feet in his range. "What's going on?"

Mary smiled back, placing a hand around her stomach as she looked back at the porch where her grandfather and John Larabee were sipping lemonade. She held Casey's pink helmet tightly in her other hand. "My grandfather going to convince your father into taking a horse that it's owners can't handle. It's always escaping them and nipping at the other horses. Finding a decent owner is going to be challenging."

"I'm sure dad will do his best impression of not giving a damn." Vin kept his voice low and found the handle of his bike to become sudden fascinating. "But he will. He's a grizzly bear with a teddy bear heart, mom says."

Mary laughed with agreement. "Your parents are a lovely couple. I hope my future will have that kind of bond it in."

"I'm sure it will." Vin pushed his foot against the ground, leaving a dirt mark in the grass.

"So," Mary looked at Vin's bike. "Can I have a ride?"

Vin head shot up and he looked around before settling his eyes on her. "On this?"

"I always wanted to learn to ride one of these. They look fun." Mary put her hands around her shoulders, rubbing them as if she was cold.

"Well," Vin looked down the hill at the porch. He really wasn't sure what to do. "Will your grandfather be okay with it?"

Mary nodded and held up Casey's helmet. "I asked before coming up. He said that I had to wear a helmet."

Vin looked at the helmet in her hands. "Well yeah. I guess we can pull a bike out from the barn. Casey has a huge head so you should be able to fit it."

"Are you saying my head is huge?" Mary narrowed her eyes at Vin.

"No. No." Vin hurriedly shook his head. He knew his face was getting red. "I mean to say that though she is younger, you can still fit her helmet."

Mary smiled, her eyes dancing. "I was just playing. I knew what you meant."

Vin gave her a weak smile, he wasn't sure why he felt so stupid around her but she didn't make it easy not to feel differently. "Let's go get that bike."

"I'd like that but," Mary put her hand on the handle bar next to his own. "Couldn't we ride double? I mean..." She could feel her own cheeks tinging with a blush. "I-um...I'd like to learn to ride one on my own but for now, I think I would do better if someone with a little more experienced controlled it."

"Yeah I mean," Vin scratched the back of his head. Buck was going to tease him all night. "We can do that. Sure." He looked back at JD and Buck who were keeping their distance from him and Mary on purpose. He scooted up closer to the front of the seat so she could get behind him.

Mary used his shoulder to keep her balance as she threw her leg over the seat. "Does it matter where I put my feet?"

Vin kicked down the extra foot bars on the bike for her feet. "Keep them on those or you'll get caught up in the wheel."

Mary put the helmet on, making sure she fastened it tightly under her chin. Vin gave the helmet a little wiggle to double sure of her efforts. She put her hands behind her on a bar that was on the back of the seat while Vin put his helmet on, happy that it would hide his blush. He caught sight of Buck raising his bottle water in a silent salute. Vin shook his head, he was never ever going to hear the end of this.

Vin started the bike and leaned back a little so Mary could hear him over the motor. "You need to put your arms around me or you'll just fall over backwards once we start up the hill."

"Oh!" Mary quickly put both of her arms around Vin's waist, holding tightly onto him. He had to admit, that felt kind of nice.

* * *

"Josiah!" Emma brought her grocery cart closer to the tall man. "How nice to see you so soon!"

"Emma!" Josiah smiled brightly at her. She looked amazing to him. Her thick hair looked soft as silk and she was a little rounded but he thought that made her look more like a woman. "You look lovely today."

"Oh, Josiah." Emma swatted her hand in the air. "You were always had a way with words."

Ezra and Nathan exchanged looks and slowly stepped backwards but they weren't quick enough. Nathan because he fought the temptation of being rude and Ezra because it was just too damn early to be up.

"Oh! You brought your boys!" Emma went around the grocery carts and placed a hand on both of the boy's faces. "Nathan and Ezra, right? I am right, aren't I? They are so lovely. You are a blessed man, Josiah."

He loved how his name rolled off her lips like pure honey. "I find myself in agreement. Where are your lovely daughters?"

"Katie is here wondering around but Maddie and Ella are off doing their own things." Emma's smile faltered slightly. She knew her two other daughters had a bad reputation. She wasn't proud about it but it seemed she couldn't do anything either. The more she tried the worse they got. Josiah wouldn't judge though, Emma was sure of it. After all, his young boy didn't have a clean reputation either.

"Well we are trying to figure out a meal plan. Three bachelors and none of us are much use in the kitchen, I'm afraid." Josiah stared down at his frozen meals and bag of potatoes and a lot of fruit.

"Oh, honey." Emma shook her head at their poor food choose. "Why don't we shop together and perhaps I can help you out with some simple things."

"That's very kind of you." Josiah beamed at the idea. He looked over at his boys who returned a weak smile. "I would appreciate that very much and I am sure my boys would too."

"Yes ma'am." Nathan hurried to agree. It didn't bother him that his father was openly flirting with Emma but it was all the negative warning he had been given that bothered him. More than anything, he wanted his father to be happy but would Emma do it or hurt him.

"Any improvement would be most welcomed." Ezra put on his most earnest face. "I fear we may not last much longer if we are to endure any more of his attempt of nurturing us on what he deems edible cuisine."

Emma's eyes widen and she placed a hand on Josiah's arm. "Josiah! Why, I have a wonderful idea! Why don't I make you some dinner that you and the boys can preheat! Isn't that a lovely idea! I could swing by later today and prepare something for a few days."

"You would do that?" Josiah reaction was as if she was going to sacrifice her very life for one of his boys. "That is very generous of you, Emma."

Nathan gave Ezra a quick glance who shrugged at him. Ezra hadn't heard the negative briefings that Nathan had on Emma's family so all he could see is that they have a chance at eating for a few days.


	6. Sorting it Out

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you all for the reviews! I love each one of them!

I'm not sure why things (") were doubled up, sorry if that irritates some of you. I didn't do it on purpose and not sure why it even happened. /:

* * *

He met her in the afternoon on Sunday, at the One2Go. It being a little breakfast and lunch restaurant at the edge of town, just off the main highway.

He didn't meet her there because he was trying to hide from the spotted eyes of the town folk but because it was quiet, crowd less and the food was decent enough. After all, it wasn't unusual to spot Buck with a different girl weekly.

""You are looking as sweet as every Lucy." Buck said over his small lunch of a deli sandwich and fries. She had ordered the same, neither feeling an appetite at the moment. ""Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine Buck." Lucy gave him an easy smile. ""How are you holding up? I know it was quite a shock to you and all."

"That is putting it mildly." Buck gave her barely a smile. ""I need to apologize for my behavior on Friday. Its been eating me all day yesterday." Buck reached over, taking her hand in his and cupping his other hand on top. ""I should have never left you like that. I was shocked with that sort of news but it was no excuse. I'm embarrassed by my own behavior towards you."

"I have to admit, it did upset me. But I know you Buck." Lucy gave him one of her small, porcelain smiles. ""I knew you would come around."

"Then you had more faith in me than I did in myself. I am still stunned about the news." Buck admitted. "Can't seem to get my head around it and it seems to be the only thing on my mind."

""I find it hard to believe as well but it is true. I always knew I wanted to be a mama but I was hoping after a couple of years from high school graduation." Lucy let go of Buck's hand to lay her own on her stomach gently. No one could see any difference yet but she noticed. ""I am starting to get excited though. I keep thinking if it will be a boy or a girl. Will the baby have my eyes or yours. Will it be short or tall. Or be shy like me or outgoing like yourself."

To watch Lucy to about her baby, no- their baby, it was something magical. Like the feeling you get during Christmas or when you know Spring was just around the corner. He couldn't hide the grin that appeared. ""You going to make a fine mother, Lucy."

Lucy picked up her deli sandwich and took a small bite out of it. ""I don't suppose you told your folks yet, have you."

Buck swallowed his own bite from his burger. ""No. Have you?"

""Not yet but I am thinking this weekend, tell my mom. I will need to start up doctor appointments." Lucy frowned. ""I know my daddy is going to be so disappointed in me but in the end he will be happy about the baby. He is a grizzly bear with the heart of a teddy bear."

""I think your dad will take it better than mine." Buck rubbed the back of his neck. He is going to not like his talk with John at all. ""I was hoping you and I could get a plan started. Because they are going to ask what we plan on doing. I would like to have a few answers. I assume you plan on keeping it right? I mean to say, you are going to carry it?"

Lucy gave a moment to think over the words."I never considered any other options to tell you the truth. I planned on keeping the baby and raising it."

""That's good." Buck wanted to reassure her that he too had wanted that. ""That's real good. I guess now, if you are ok with it, we can get married once I'm out of school. I know its another year to wait and all. But I want to do right by you. I didn't forget you saying that you were in a beauty school for hair and such. Do you think you can keep that up? I can find a full time job after school and then find some place to live. It will take a while. ""

""Oh Buck." This time Lucy reached over to grasp his hand. ""I don't want to marry you. We had a great time but we both know we aren't right for each other."

""You don't want to get married?" Buck looked taken back.

Lucy shook her head with a smile."Of course not. Well, some day sure but not now. Not with you. This isn't the 1800's where we are expected to get married. It's your baby too and all I'm asking is that you be there and help. I would like the baby to know it's daddy. "" She pointed a finger at him. ""I don't want you to give up your dream of becoming a law enforcement officer either."

""Lucy, I don't think there is any other way." Buck said. ""I don't know much about babies but even I know they are expensive. I hate to give up on that idea of getting involved in law enforcement but I need to get a job for the baby."

""I have been tossing this in my head for a few weeks, Buck. By the time I'm done with school the baby would arrive. I still have my part time job and my parents would allow me to continue to live with them, I have no doubt about that. You may need to get an after school job but I don't know how that would pan out with your football." Lucy looked down at her plate for a moment. "" And well, you may need to cut back on the socializing once the baby arrives."

""No need to worry about that." Buck agreed. ""That was first on my agenda."

""And you may have to take the baby for a night or two." Lucy added. ""For a break on me or my parents."

Buck chuckled and leaned back on his chair. ""Me with a baby. You better believe my mama will be all over the tiny thing."

""I thought she would be. It's the reason why I would be at ease with you taking for a night or two. Don't get me wrong, you will do a wonderful job being a father but a house of men, that would get my nerves rattled." Lucy smiled with him.

Buck smiled down at his plate as he tried to get everything straight in his mind. It just sounded too easy once they discussed it. Maybe it was because they never had a negative history together and they were willing to meet each other in the middle. ""So you think we can do this? Juggle our lives around a newborn?"

""Buck." Lucy leaned against the table, her eyes holding his own. ""We aren't the first people to have a baby. Look at your ma." Lucy sat back but her eyes still kept in contact with Buck's own.. ""She had your brother at what, sixteen?"

""That she did." Buck admitted. The whole town knew his parents started out very young but it was old news that no longer ever surfaced in the gossip world of Four Corners. ""She is an amazing person but I'm not mom and I am finding it rather scary."

""I always thought you and Vin were like your mom more than the others." Lucy picked up her glass of tea. She studied the young man across from her with humour in her eyes. ""It's telling your dad that you need to fear."

Buck laughed though it was out of nerviness and he nodded his head. ""Oh, you have that right. I wish I didn't have to tell him.. I'm not so sure if it's their anger or disappointment."

""Ah, well that's an easy answer. It's the disappointment. Anger is nothing but disappointment, well that is in a different ball-field, am I right? But you know, we are lucky Buck. We both have great parents." Lucy assured him, her voiced carried the honesty she proudly boasted. ""They will help us when we need it. We need to be grateful for that fact alone. We will have the help we need."

""Sounds too easy, Lucy." Buck rubbed his chin with his right hand. "I know I am sounding like a broken record on this."

""You won't be saying that going to school after only three hours of sleep." Lucy joked lightly. ""But we will do OK."

""Do you want me to be with you when you tell your parents?" Buck asked her. He really didn't want to and was relieved when she started to shake her head.

""My dad will kill you!" Lucy set her glass down, taking his larger hand in her own. ""I thank you for the offer, I really do. But it would be best that daddy had some time to simmer down before he lays eyes on you again."

They spent an hour talking about the future, if its a boy or if its a girl and what would they call it. Afterwards he walked her to the car. Made sure she was seat buckled in even gave her a kiss on the cheek. She asked when he would tell his parents, he answered that he didn't know but soon.

* * *

When he arrived back at his house, he spotted Vin and Chris fixing one of the older corrals. They had some new wooden posts and fences laid out on the ground. Peso was in the corral next to the brothers, trying to get Vin's attention by way of curling his lips and blowing raspberries at the boy.

Buck ambled over and leaned against one of the fresh standing posts. ""What is dad doing now that has you both out here working?"

Vin pulled his hair free from Peso mouth. ""A new horse" Vin wiped at his forehead. " The Judge tricked dad into housing a difficult one. Said it wasn't fit to ride none and that it would harass the other horses. Seems the former owner is a friend of the Judge and well, I guess they were army buddies in the day and favors were owed and favors were paid somehow or other. Either way, we are housing a horse until it can find an owner willing to put up with it since we have the space."

Chris glanced up at Peso started to step closer to him. The horse was a trickery just as his owner. "If it's as ornery as Travis claims, I'm thinking it's going to have a long stay with us. It's a pure breed, high line so maybe they will just use it as a stud."

Buck grinned when Peso tugged at Vin's hair again, hard enough to pull the younger brother's head back. "Can't see it being any worse than Peso."

""Peso!" Vin faked a swat at the horse's nose but Peso just folded its lip that resembled a grin. "Peso isn't a bad horse. He's naturally curious."

""You spoil that creature way too much." Buck reminded the younger boy.

""Dang it." Vin freed his hair yet again from the horse's mouth and stepped out of Peso's reach. The horse blew its lips at the him and stomped the ground. Vin pointed his finger at the horse who just twitched it's ears.

""Why don't I take your place and you take Peso for a run?" Buck nodded his head in the horse's direction.

""You sure about that?" Vin asked. Spending time with Peso was a favourite past time of his but he wasn't the type to shoulder off his work onto someone else.

""Sure I'm sure." Buck waved him to get as he moved towards Vin's discarded shovel.

""Thanks. Guess I owe you one." Vin grinned, walking backwards towards the stables for his gear.

""Yeah you do." Buck pointed a finger at him. ""Start by leaving my morning bacon alone!"

""Sure." Vin said half-hearted before turning into a run towards the stable. As he understood the whole conversation, Peso raced the boy to their saddling spot."Maybe!"

Chris had stopped working to take off his shirt and used it to wipe off the sweat on his face. He tossed it up against the new fence before picking up a bottle water and taking a long drink it. He while he watched Vin disappeared into the stables and he slowly tighten the cap back onto the bottle. ""So what has been eating at you?" Chris turned his green eyes onto his brother. ""Haven't been yourself since Friday."

""Just trying to figure out which lucky girl I should shower my attention onto next weekend." Buck gave him a grin with a wink. ""Since you are no longer in the playing field, why I have a whole lot more to pick from."

Chris set his water back on the ground and leaned against his shovel that was rooted into the soil. In his sight he could see Vin swinging into Peso's back and heading towards the northern trail.

""You have the right to your own secrets, Buck." Chris tone was calm and level but his eyes clearly spoke the volume. ""But you and I are as close as it comes and you would be a fool to think I don't know something is biting at your heels."

Buck sighed heavily and nodded his head. ""I suppose I don't hide my secrets well." He rubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath." Lucy says she's pregnant."

""Aw hell Buck." Chris gave him a look that reminded him so much of their father. ""I thought you said you were protected."

""I am. I do." He gave a slight shrug but his voice was more than a mumble. ""Most of the time."

""Most of the time?" Chris tilted his head slightly as he looked at Buck." Most of the time? Aw, come on Buck! Think that answer is going to be acceptable by dad?"

""Not exactly." Buck grunted out. ""Not at all. I know. Not like I can do anything about it now anyways, can I?"

""Well what are you going to do?" Chris asked, his voice softened a little. "It's not like it's a problem that will go away. In fact, it's going to stick around for the rest of your life."

"For starts, I'm not going to think of it as a 'problem'. Figure, I will go all positive on it. Maybe for now on, call it a mini me." Buck always was one to try to lighten the mood even if it was his ordeal to lighten.

"OK." Chris glanced down as Diesel came sniffing through the piles of loose soils. The dog deciding if the boys could dig, no reason why he wouldn't and started to search for a good spot. "I can understand thinking like that but still remains is what you are going to do?"

Buck rubbed the back of his neck."I asked her to marry me after I get out of school."

""Did you now?" Chris lifted his brows but not in real surprised. Buck may do many things and not always the smartest things but what is really good at is doing the right thing.

""She said no." Buck chuckled in disbelief. ""Didn't think she would turn me down. You know, she didn't even hesitate."

""I thought she would have jumped on that, isn't it usually what they want? "" Chris admitted in a whisper. ""You did right to ask her, though."

""I know. I know in the back of my head, she may change her mind and I will go through it." Buck shuffled his weight from leg to the other. ""To be honesty, I'm relieved she said no but a little tiny bit wished she would have said yes."

""That's just your bruised ego talking." Chris looked off into the hills, his younger brother reappeared at the line of sight. ""You rather have girls tripping over themselves in order to hook their arm on yours. Guess maybe Lucy is over that."

""Always knew she was just as smart as she was pretty." Buck picked up a shovel and started digging for the next post. ""Have to say, sounds like it's going to be a piece of cake after talking with her. She has it all figured out."

""Probably has been thinking hard on it but you know it won't be easy." Chris rolled the post over to the hole Buck was shoveling. ""Remember JD? Mom and dad were up most of the night with him. He was always sick and Vin couldn't get his days and nights worked out."

""I remember." Buck nodded his head. Buck had help with those late night hours even though he was a little thing himself, he helped his mom bounce JD around the house. ""They weren't the best of times."

""I can talk to them with you. You don't have to tell them alone." Chris offered and he meant it. He would stand by Buck's side through anything.

Buck shook his head no. ""I really appreciate that offer. Think it would be better if I man up to it on my own. I mean, it isn't as they are going to kick me out or disown me."

""I wouldn't wait too long on telling them." Chris advised. ""I'm sure Lucy will be excited to spread her news and You know how this town is as well. Someone will spot her looking at baby clothes and next thing you know is she is having triplets."

""Wouldn't that beat it all." Buck groaned. ""One is all I can manage. I think."

"On the positive side, you can always bring up that you are telling them now and not waiting fourteen or seventeen years later like Josiah." Chris mentioned with a quick shrug, "May be something to bring up. Not to toss Josiah under the bus or anything but jog their minds a little on that fact."

"Yeah, I could do that. Think I will find a time when they are in good spirits." Buck agreed thinking about how upset his parents had been in discovering that their grandchildren were nearly grown and how much joy they had missed out. "Josiah seemed to be doing a good job with them though, I hope I do just as well."

""You will make a good father. Hell once the kid gets to be three, well guess you two would be on the same maturity levels." Chris joked, his green eyes bright."You will have a right good time bonding."

""Right old comedian, that's what you are now." Buck faked a glare at him.

They relaxed into their familiar, comfortable silence while they worked for another twenty minutes before Chris spoke again. ""Llyod is going into the navy in a few weeks. The pay isn't the best but I think you could get hired at the garage. Todd likes you and he will work you around school."

""You wouldn't mind talking to him for me? Maybe setting up something?" Buck knew Chris would help him. They grew up as close as two brothers could.

""Won't be a problem. He may give you hell if you quit football. Your his favorite player." Chris green eyes held a glint of mischief. ""Then again, you didn't do so good last season. Maybe he won't mind after all."

""I played damn good!" Buck huffed but he didn't take his brother's words to heart. He knew Chris was trying to take his mind off his troubles.

* * *

Reaching under his bed he found the handle to his hardtop luggage bag and slid it out so he could open it up. He could fit it in the closet but out of habit, he always kept this one bag under the bed. It had small amount of clothing in it not because he was planning on leaving but it was a security blanket. It was there if he needed too. It also carried a cell phone that hadn't been activated yet and in it's hidden department, he had just a little over a thousand dollars rolled up in small notes. To a normal kid and even to some adults, that sounded like a lot of money but Ezra knew that it wouldn't get him too far but it would get him to safety.

But those weren't the reason he got into his luggage. The reason were the little liquid blue pills that he spread out from it's envelope and counted them off. If he took one every night, he would have enough for the next four months. Last time, he had only needed the aid for a short time and he was hoping it would be the same. He scooped up the pills in his cupped hand and picked up his bedside clock. With nimble fingers, he found the secret latch and unhinged the face, pulling it downward to reveal a little secret compartment, which he stored the pills for easy access during the night hours.

He closed the suitcase up and slid it back under the bed, his brows furrowed as he looked at the pillow on his bed. He reached over to his pillow and pulled a few short strains of grey hair off the pillow. His green eyes darted around the empty room and froze to the french doors leading to his balcony. The door was slightly open and he was positive that it had been shut when he left his room.

Ezra slowly walked over to the door, opening it wider and peering out but the balcony was empty and held no tell-tell signs of anyone had been there at all. He started to step out when the door to his room started to jiggle but he had locked it so now the handle jiggling up and down was replaced by swift knocks.

"Ezra." Nathan's voice was on the other side.

Ezra groaned inward, shutting the french doors and walked to the door of his bedroom. He opened it, revealing his brother and his roaming eyes that were peering over his shoulders.

"Why'd you lock your door? You never lock the door." Nathan kept scanning Ezra's room, suspicious as ever of Ezra's on goings.

"I do, Nathan. I lock it a great deal of the time it's just that you never seek me out when I do." Ezra informed him with an annoyed look reflecting in his green eyes. "I was hoping you would continue the habit but, well here you are."

"Yeah well Dad says we are to go downstairs." Nathan shifted his weight on his feet. "Emma is here and two of the daughters. The younger ones."

"Maddie and Katie?" Ezra offered the names. Maddie and Katie were the nonidentical twins of Emma, both were in Ezra and Vin's grade. "I am to take it that we are to keep them busy while Josiah has a charming conversation with Emma?"

"If by charming you mean flirting, yeah." Nathan pushed himself away from the door frame. "So you coming?"

"Of course." Ezra closed the door behind him. "Let us not keep our guest waiting."


	7. Surprise!

Author's note: Lovely reviews! Thank you all so much for them! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter - I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed writing it up. I hope I successfully show in the story below that a few weeks have passed since Buck and Lucy.

* * *

"You came for me." A soft whisper through the cracks of the wall as he approached the door.

He knelt down to his knees and pressed a hand against the door as he leaned closer, the corners of his lips curling upward slightly as he gave her his own whispered words. "Said I would."

The dream merged with his memories, so vivid in recollecting everything around him. The smell of the earth he knelt on, the dampness of the grass with the late night dew, the sounds of summer's night surrounding him, even the faint light from the quarter moon.

In his memory he would push against the door, feeling the texture of peeling paint under his fingers and she would be sitting on it's floor, her long dark hair flowing down her back, her tear streaked face lifting towards the door, the small smile of relief adoring her thin face and her swollen almond shaped eyes blinking at him.

But tonight, the dream played differently in his head. This time he opens the door to a rush of cold air that brings goosebumps to his skin and leaves him blinking back the black void before him. All sound of the summer's night vanishes and is replaced by the sound of a dripping faucet somewhere in the distant of the his dream realm.

"Lei?" He stepped inside the darkness spinning around and around, peering into the shadows, hoping she is there crouched down from his sight."Where are you?"

"Lost." She voice like a distant music chimes echoing in the dark. Sounding so very far away from where he stood. "Come find me. Find me. I'm cold."

Ezra bolted up from his bed with quick glances around the room as his mind raced to catch up with his sight. He glanced at the sunlight filtering in through the french doors that led to the balcony while he took a few deep breaths in and out. His heartbeat finally slowing and he rubbed his hands over his face, bringing his knees to his chest and he stayed like that. He found his calming rhythm to breath, he listened to the sounds of morning slipping inside his room and felt the warmth of the sun, promising a bright day. He stayed in the moment, frozen until the sound of a soft knock fallen against his door.

Ezra slowly looked over at the door just as his father poked his head into the room when he had not answered right away.

Josiah took the sight before him. Ezra had his layers of blankets twisted, pillows tossed on the floor as if his son had battled with them and lost. "Just wanted to see if you were up. Remember we are going to mom and dad's this afternoon."

Ezra nodded his head, he remembered. He rubbed his eyes and didn't bother hiding his yawn, it would be useless attempt if he had tried to muffle it. Josiah had been repeating that reminder for over two weeks and almost every day since. It started to become annoying but Ezra and Nathan had chopped it up to their father not seeing his own parents for a great many of years. Of course, that was his father's own fault, Ezra thought.

Josiah put on a bright smile in hopes that it would reflect a positive emotion from Ezra. "George Horace Lorimer once said that 'You've got to get up every morning with determination if you are going to go to bed with satisfaction'."

"Lovely. I will determine to be satisfied on days I can sleep later and miss mornings altogether." Ezra's accent heavy with tiredness and his eyes narrowed with annoyance.

Josiah allowed his smile to slip and he pushed the door further open to allow his giant frame through. Quietly, with barely a click, Josiah shut the door behind him. "Is there anything at all you would like to discuss? I'm asking because you seem to be out of sorts lately. Like your mind is elsewhere."

"Nothing at all." Ezra asked in puzzlement. "My mind is where is should be."

Josiah sat down on the edge of Ezra's bed, frowning when Ezra casually got out of bed on the other side and walked to his dresser.

"I am up." Ezra growled, already pulling his clothes out of the dresser. "Isn't that why you came in? So I wouldn't go back to bed?"

"Partially. Mostly, I'm concerned about you." Josiah looked over his shoulder as Ezra scooped his clothes for the day in his arms.

Ezra stared at his father for a few minutes, knowing that Josiah wouldn't let it drop. "You have no reason to worry about me, Josiah." Ezra gave him a pleasant smile and with his artful skill, toned his voice to reassure his father that he was fine. "I dislike morning affairs, you know that. And I suppose I can admit feeling a little home sick from the city lifestyle. There really isn't much for me to do here that I am accustomed to doing. After all that, I am fine. Truly, I am."

"If you-" Josiah looked down at his hands, feeling a little lost. His gut was telling him something, much differently than what his son was telling him but it was like a muffled feeling. "You do know that you can come to me about anything. Anything at all."

"If I need to talk your door is open." Ezra sat down beside his father and leaned his shoulder against Josiah. Inside, Ezra was smirking at the look on Josiah's face when he allowed this little affection towards his father. On the outside, he put on the face his mother had given him in the past to try to convince him to believe the words she spoke were true.

There were many times when his father had tried to show physical comfort to him but he had always withdrew from Josiah. He wasn't used to it and he didn't want to get used to it but if it would give Ezra what he wanted, he will use it for his gain. At the moment, he wanted Josiah concern for him to be forgotten and to be left alone.

"Josiah, you told me that line many of times. Its etched into my brain. I know I can come to you with any problems I may have if they were to come up." Ezra looked over at the mess of the bed. "Today, other than getting up before noon, I have nothing for you to be concerned about."

"You're not trying to con me?" Josiah rested his chin on top of Ezra's head. His son's affections were rare and he savored the little moments like these.

"As you would fall for any of my tricks!" Ezra rolled his eyes at the thought but knowing he was doing just that and succeeding at the moment. "Now if you will excuse me." He lifted his clothes slightly in the air. "I will be only a few minutes. I'm looking forward to visiting Vin and JD again at their home."

* * *

JD and Casey were in the tree house and had spotted Josiah's pick-up truck first. They both hurried out of the tree house while yelling,"They're here! They're here!"

Natalie and Nettie emerged outdoors with the two Larabee dogs following the two youngest, smiling at their excitement on greeting the expected guest.

"Hey boys?" Natalie walked towards the boys as they got out of Josiah's truck. She had her arms out already to give 'grand-babies' hugs.

"We won't think low of you if you want to run the other way." Vin stood behind his mother and was smiling as he watched Nathan and Ezra get squished in a grandmother hug.

"Can we go dirt bike riding with them?" JD pointed over to where the bikes were out already from a morning run.

"Mom." Josiah gave his mother a hug in greetings. Natalie kept an arm around Josiah when he turned to view the dirt bike field.

Nathan and Ezra looked over at the bikes excitedly but Josiah was shaking his head.

"Another day, JD. Ezra could go over boundaries by mistake. Lets keep activities close to the house." Josiah looked over at Nathan, who had looked just as disappointed as Ezra but today was to be special and he knew Nathan would understand. "Sorry boys."

"We can do it another time, Nate." Vin told the older boy. "Before summer is over."

"Yeah. Guess so." Nathan quickly smiled as he scooped up one of Buck's footballs from the porch."We could play football." Nathan looked over at Casey. "Maybe flag football?"

"Afraid I will hurt you?" Casey taunted and quickly took the ball from Nathan's hand. "I am team captain! None of that baby flag game. This is real tackle!"

"I'm second captain." Chris called out from the porch swing. He looked over at his swing partner. "Coming?"

"I'm going to sit it out. But I promise to cheer for you." Sarah leaned close to him.

"Oh, you better." Chris smiled into a kiss.

Vin swung the house door open wide."Dad! We are playing football! I want you on my team!"

Nathan looked over at his own father,"If Grandpa Larabee can play, guess you won't have an excuse not too."

Josiah grinned,"I am on the winning side!"

* * *

Vin made a mad leap on his brother's back in an attempt to bring Buck down but his older brother wasn't going down so easily. He trudged along, ignoring his brother and the mud from yesterday's rainstorm. His process slow but steady.

Chris called out to Buck and held up his hands, he was open. Buck tossed the ball his way but it was intercepted by Josiah.

JD swept low, wrapping his arms around his brother's leg causing him to fall forward into the mud hole. Nathan scrambled onto of his father, trying to get a hold of the ball when Josiah lost his grip on the ball and it swam in the puddle.

John reached down to pluck it out of the mud but Casey was on top of him pulling him into the mud, she had no distressed of being covered head to toe in mud.

Since she was able to take John down, Ezra smartly stole the ball from his hand but Vin launched himself around Ezra's waist and they both fell into the mud together. Diesel, the Larabee dog decided it was a good time to get involved but he wasn't picking sides, who ever went down he was on top of them with a bark and tail wagging. If one younger boys tried to escape, he caught their pant leg and pulled them back into the mud.

It wasn't long before all the players were pulled, pushed, or fallen in the now larger puddle of mud and each one trying to get a firm grip on the slick muddy ball.

When Chris spotted the ball, he made go for it but JD jumped onto his back when he bent over to pick up the ball. The sudden weight of JD threw Chris off balance and he toppled into the puddle with JD on top of him.

Vin stood up, scooped his hands in the deep mud and threw it at Josiah, catching the side of his face. Josiah spit some of the mud out and turned towards his younger brother. Vin tried to get out of his way but end up slipping and sliding before the filling of a large handful of mud washed over him and his giant brother laughing.

Buck had taken off JD's hat, scooped it full of mud and placed it back on his younger brother's head. JD stood there with mud leaking around his ears and mouth hanging open and Casey sitting in the mud laughing so hard she had tears running down her cheek.

Chris and Vin had moved onto Ezra, they were trying to get the slippery football out of Ezra's grip but the younger boy held onto it like an alligator in a death roll.

Finally when Vin was able to get his hands between Ezra and the ball and was almost out of the mud pit, John reached over, grasping the waistband of Vin's jeans and pulling him back into the mud.

At this time, who was on whose team was forgotten while mud flew and bodies rolled. Casey and JD were standing up with mud balls to toss at anyone who was able to get a proper balance, only to get slugged by the two youngest.

The ladies and Max, the older dog stood at a safe distance, sipping their. lemonade while they watched the men wallow in the large puddle.

"I was worried the rain would ruin the day outside." Natalie smiled as her husband fell down from the weight of Nathan.

Nettie chuckled as Josiah had managed pick Ezra up from under his arms and swung him around in a circle only to releasing him back into the mud while becoming dizzy himself and stumbling off balance, tripping over Vin and falling on his back into a wave of thick mud. JD deciding that it looked fun plead for Josiah to do the same.

Buck had thought he retrieved the ball only to find it was John's shoe that somehow slipped off. But since it resembled a football slobbed in mud, he was preyed upon in a few seconds by anyone who didn't have their ass planted in the bottom of the mud hole.

Vin had managed to stand up straight but Josiah had spun JD and let go at that time and the little boy slid into Vin like a bowling ball and Vin went back into the mud.

Ezra and Chris were standing when John had picked Casey up from under her arms and as Josiah had done with JD, spun her around and releasing her into the duo, spending them back into the mud with Casey on top of both boys laughing.

"I am going to enjoy hosing them off." Sarah mused to the ladies.

"Probably easier to send them into the pond." Nettie replied.

John had enough, he wasn't as young as his children after all so he waved a time out as he struggled to find his balance. The boys allowed him to escape.

John slouched his way to the porch, mud oozing over him like thick rain, his shoe in his hand.

"You are a mess!" Natalie shooed at him with hand waving gestures.

"Perhaps you should jump in a lake." Nettie with the nod towards the pond.

John grinned and looked over at the pond and back at his boys with a proud smile. Today turned out perfect. "I suppose I could herd them over to clean water."

"I think that would be a wise idea." Natalie agreed.

He looked back at her, that Larabee glint in his green eyes made Natalie return a warning glare.

"No. Don't." She said it but the corners of her mouth threaten to turn into a smile. "No John!"

Her screams reached the wild bunch swimming in the mud, each of them froze as they watched Natalie kicking and screaming while being hauled over John's shoulder towards the pond.

John didn't stop once he reached the pond, he walked right in with his wife over his shoulder and only released her once he was waist deep and laughed as she came to the surfaced spitting water out. She gave a small growl and jumped on him, causing them both to go under water. When they emerged, they were splashing at each other playfully.

Casey and JD, not wanting to miss out in the actions were first to escape the mud pit. Mud flew off them as they raced to worn out dock of the pond and cannonball in, splashing both John and Natalie. Wasn't long after that Diesel jumped in and started doggy paddle in a circle around Casey and JD.

Everyone soon were in the pond, dunking and splashing fully clothed. The mud slowly coming off each body. Casey kept telling Ezra to watch how far she could jump and JD said he could jump even further. In the end, Casey and JD started their own little jumping off the dock contest leaving Vin and Ezra to show off their acrobat abilities with back flips and somersaults off the dock. Casey started to try as well but she ended up doing a run spin and then jumped into the water. JD did a somersault on the dock then a skip and a cannonball back into the pond.

Josiah, Nathan, Buck and Chris took up racing across the pond while Natalie and John waded out of the water, hand in hand and matching smiles. They both stopped once to look over their shoulders admiring what they created with love.

* * *

Josiah beamed proudly in his father's old polo shirt can shorts, as he looked around the picnic table his parents had placed under an old oak tree. Everyone had changed into dry clothes, Josiah and his sons borrowed clothing with Nathan wearing Chris' clothing and Ezra in Vin's. Everyone was in perfect harmony, all sitting around the picnic table while they ate. Buck and Nathan were chatting away about football. Chris and Sarah kept gazing at each other with the look of young love but they made sure to put in a few words when Buck started in on his football stories.

Casey and JD were holding their own discussion about an action movie that had recently been advertised and they both wanted to see it. Vin had Ezra's attention about a new video game he was currently involved in when Vin saw his father and Josiah exchange a nod. With a smile of secretive, Vin started to clear Ezra's paper plate and empty cup that laid forgotten in front of the other boy in order to make room for dessert that he knew was coming. Ezra just thought Vin was tiding up, which was out of character for the other boy.

Josiah took in a deep breath of content, the day turned out perfect and it only got better when John placed a large cake with white icing in front of Ezra. On the cake had fifteen burning candles.

Everyone grew quiet as they watched Ezra's facial expression as he read Happy 15 Ezra' etched in red letters across the cake. John gave Josiah a quick glance, it was as if Ezra froze. He didn't know what to do. Ezra looked up at his father as his mind started to comprehend what was going on. It was a birthday party. For him. That was why Josiah made sure he hadn't forgotten about this visit.

"Surprise!" JD yelled, feeling as the word needed to be shouted, he reached passed Vin to give Ezra a clap on the back.

"Happy birthday!" Casey chorused after her best friend, she even clapped her hands that got others to do so as well.

Vin leaned towards Ezra, "You gotta blow them out, you know."

Ezra blinked back the words and quickly blew each of the candles out with one big breath.

"What did I tell you all. One time is all he would have to do!" Buck gave Ezra a wink but started a new round of applause.

"What did you wish for?"JD asked.

"I um...forgot too." Ezra said honestly.

"Next year you can wish again!" JD reassured him. "Best think about it the day before or you freeze."

"Happy birthday, Ez." Vin patted him on the shoulder with one hand while he pointed at the cake with his other hand. "I want that there corner piece and make it big."

The cake was chocolate with peppermint icing, another pleasant surprise to Ezra from Nettie. Josiah had made a casual joke to Natalie and Nettie one afternoon that he was sure if he sprinkled peppermint on Ezra's dinner, the boy may eat without a fuss.

Ezra didn't make out too bad in the gift department either. He had gotten a new wallet, some comic books, a deck of cards, a few video games and JD and Casey had built a small bird house for the tree near his balcony. Buck and Chris made a small table and two chairs for the balcony too.

With his curfew approaching, Josiah and his boys were first to stretch away from the group. John and Natalie walked the boys to their truck. Out of impulse, John had reached out to place an arm around Ezra's shoulder, pulling him closer and gave Ezra a quick kiss on top of his head. "Happy birthday, kiddo."

John's rare action of an affection display openly had Natalie smiling at her husband's blush when he realizing what he had done. Ezra gave his grandfather a look as he had lost his mind but he was still smiling, patting down the top of his hair.

"You made his birthday real special." Josiah stood outside of the pick-up while his boys climbed inside. Nathan and Ezra both took the back seat of the cab to sort through some of the new games they were going to play together on the game system once they got home. "Thank you both."

"We all had a wonderful time," Natalie wrapped an arm around her oldest son for a goodbye hug.

"I'm surprised you were able to keep it hidden from him." John looked through the window at his two grandsons getting seat belted in.

Josiah gave his father a weak grin."I don't think he realized his birthday had approached. Something isn't settling right with him and I can't get him to open up. It's just a gut feeling."

"That would be the Larabee stubbornness." Natalie gave a side glance to her husband. "It's in everyone of the boys blood, thanks to your father. You all would lay about half dead and still claim to be fine."

"I wouldn't take it that far." John grumbled but chose not to make eye contact with his wife.

Casey and Nettie had said their good-byes shortly after Josiah had left. Chris and Sarah had wandered off down the lane for some alone time. Vin and JD were saddling their horses for a short ride before night hours hit.

* * *

Natalie and John were on the front porch swinging watching the rest of the daylight slowly fade and it was how Buck found them when he came out of the house.

He leaned against the porch post and smiled at his parents. It never stops amazing him how two people were so right for each other as his parents. There were bad times, hard times he knew but his parents always pulled through stronger for it.

"Today turned out real well." Buck spoke first. "Better than we planned, I suppose."

"I think we just winged it not so much as planned." John replied, his eyes studied his son. "But it did turn out good."

"Of course we planned it. Us ladies did a lot of work. What happened is you men acted like a bunch of teenagers in the mud." Natalie squeezed John's hand and looked up at him briefly. "I loved watching every moment of it. Everyone was in good spirits. We have good kids. Josiah has good boys, it was nice to see them enjoy themselves."

"Too bad he didn't move down here when they were younger." Buck looked down at his feet. "Would have been nice to grow up with them."

"He realizes it now." John took a deep sigh. "But yeah, I do agree with you. It would have been nice to see their life stages."

"First walk. First word." Natalie sighed out. " First time holding them in my arms with little hands and feet flying around."

"Enjoying them as toddlers and giving them back in their tantrum phase." John smiled, he was so glad those days were gone but at the same time, he missed those little boys that were now big boys.

"Well I realize it too." Buck tucked his head a little while he shoved his worn sneaker against the porch floor, his hands tucked in his front pocket. "I would like to bring something to your attention."

John glanced down at his wife briefly. They had waited for a couple of weeks for Buck to get the nerve up. "We are all ears, son."

"It's a bit difficult to explain." Buck swallowed hard, pulling at the fabric collar of his shirt.

"We got all night, sweetie." Natalie tilted her head slightly.

"Well, I suppose it isn't as difficult as it is just hard to tell you both." Buck scratched his head and shifted his stance.

John nodded his head with the obvious statement as he watched his son who usually has no problems stating his mind. Both he and Natalie could end his suffering but Buck had to put on his big boy shoes now. "Maybe you should come out and say it. Get it over real quick."

"Well. You see it has to do with me and Lucy." Buck gave his father a sheepish grin. "You recall Lucy?"

"I do." John answered honestly. If Buck would had asked three weeks ago, John's answer would have been different but two weeks ago he had Lucy's dad show up at his work.

"Yeah. She's a fine girl." Buck crossed his arms. "We had gone on a few dates a few months back I guess."

"Among a few others young girls, if I recall." John toed the floor to get the swing to slowly sway back and forth.

"Guess so." Buck shifted his weight once more, not sure what he should do with his hands. Its been a long time since he felt this nervous. "I have been talking to her again lately. Lucy that is to say."

"You two have a lot to talk about lately." Natalie shifted in her seat beside John, she didn't ask but stated.

Buck tugged on his ear. They definitely had a lot to talk about. "Yes we have a lot we needed to discuss and guess we still are."

"Making some big plans with her?" John asked, trying to move Buck along.

"Well as a matter of fact, yeah. Seems she is going to be a steady person in my life for a real long time." Buck grinned, thinking of all the plans he and Lucy had discussed just the other day. They were talking about a boy or a girl and baby names and appointments that Buck would hate to miss out on. The few weeks that had passed since Lucy had told him about the baby helped heal the shock. Now, he was kind of looking forward to the baby. He never thought he would grow fond of a person before even knowing them but the baby seems to be making a home in his big heart already.

"And those plans are?" John pressed.

"Uh. Well." Buck looked up at the ceiling of the porch and puffed out some air." Oh hell. She's pregnant."

"And?" John tapped the floor with his toe again.

"And I am the father." Buck breathed out and quickly took a large breath. "I know what you are thinking but I planned on finishing school but I did ask her to marry me and she turned me flat down, I mean flat down. No hesitation about it. Surprised the hell out of me but she said no and I am going to pick up a job go full time in summer and work around school hours after that, i know i might have to quite football And yeah, running around and all but I promise I will not slack on raising the kid I mean Lucy already said she wants me apart of the baby's life and I want it too." Buck took a deep breath. He had no idea how JD could ramble off as much as he did and not pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Sounds like you have it all figured out." Natalie raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I know and Lucy, she knows too that there are things going to happen that we aren't prepared for." Buck scratched his cheek."But we are talking and we are agreeing and that there is more than some families have."

"You have that." Natalie hummed out.

"And I know you two and her folks will help us. I don't mean to say that we expect your help. Just that we know you all have our backs." Buck hoped that came out clear.

"Of course we will help you." Natalie reassured him.

Buck sighed in relief but he tossed his eyes over his parents. "You know, I gotta say that you two are being awful calm about it."

"We weren't two weeks ago when Lucy's dad came blazing into the office demanding that I lock him up so he didn't kill you." John's green eyes stared down his son. "Called your mom to talk me out of killing you before Mark did the job."

"Oh." Buck didn't know what else to say. His parents knew for a few weeks now and never let on. It was Lucy's father, Mark that spilled it all out. Those weeks drove Buck crazy. He rehearsed in front of a mirror on what to say. He stood in front of his father's office door countless of time ready to have the discussion but chickened out.

"Oh? That's underestimating it." Natalie sighed. "We shouldn't had been shocked. The way you behave. I cannot recall how many times I dreamed about you getting neutered. I wish I followed my dream."

Buck eyes widen. "Neutered? Now.."

"Were you ever protected, Buck?" Natalie asked, cutting him off. "We know it isn't a hundred percent, but did you try for hundred percent every time?."

Buck had a moment of hesitation, he could lie right there and blame it on the quality of the condoms but instead he found himself shaking his head. "No. Not every time."

"Buck, we had the talk. We had it so many times that you started repeating my own speech back in my face! Your mother and I even told you stories on how hard it was for us to raise Josiah." John's voice was sharp now. "You told me you were using protection. Even though I told you that your too young, I offered to buy you protection because I rather you be safe than sorry. Yet you told me with your damn cocky ass grin that you had it covered. Obviously you didn't cover the right thing!"

"I know we talked about it." Buck kept his voice low. His father told him all about protection and of course the school did too and even Chris had kept throwing the lecture to him. "I got caught up in the moment and I used poor judgment. I'm sorry."

"What about diseases? Ever think pf that and not for yourself but the girls you lay with?" Natalie added. "You could condemn them and yourself through a whole life of living something that cannot be cured because you got caught up in the moment?"

"You and dad.." Buck started.

John held up his hand, cutting his son off. "I only dated one girl and I have only been with one woman and that is your mother. Buck, you never had a girlfriend long enough for us to know her last name. If you want to live that kind of life do it responsibly. You cannot compare your relationships with the one your mother and I have made together. You haven't been in this kind of relationship to do that. Not yet."

Buck threw his hands up in examination. "Josiah didn't do so good. He has two! He must not protecting himself any better!"

"He was an adult and is an adult!" John raised his voice to match Buck's own. "We will not bring his private affairs into this discussion with you. Feel free to consult your brother's private life with him if you have questions but we are not."

Natalie raised a hand in peace. She was sure the other boys could hear the discussion. "Why don't we continue this tomorrow? No more lectures, we did it tonight. No more apologies, Buck did it already. Tomorrow, we will talk about your plan and the baby's future."

Buck looked over at his father, relieved to see him ever so slightly nod his head in agreeing with his wife. "Why don't you go help your brothers put the horses to bed then go to your room for the rest of the evening."

It wasn't a question or a suggestion, Buck was aware of that. "I am sorry." He gave a whispered apology.

"We know, sweetie." Natalie gave him a small smile that he knew was her way of saying, it'll be alright.

John and Natalie watched Buck walk towards the barn where JD and Vin were hiding, having heard raised voices when they rode in and they decided to stay in the barn till it was over.

"You know, he is sorry. Not because of the baby or because he got caught but because he knows he disappointed us. It's what makes him a little different then the other boys." Natalie voice was soft, light and always had a soothing effect on John.

"I know it." John placed his arm around Natalie's shoulder, bringing her closer to him.

* * *

"You're up early." Nathan found his brother the next morning, outside on the front steps of the porch with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"It was an accident." Ezra looked up at him, noting that his brother appeared to be doing some stretches.

"Maybe you should cut back on that or switch to decaf." Nathan sat down on the porch with his legs in front of him, touching his toes to stretch out.

"Are you going for a jog?" Ezra raised his eyebrows and taking in his brother's choice of clothing. You don't jog."

"Well, maybe I want to start." Nathan averted his eyes and focused on the small town that was slowly coming alive. "It's a good habit to start."

Ezra's lips curled into a smile. "Did Rain inspire you into this new habit?"

"Nothing wrong with a person wanting to get fit." Nathan sat down next to his brother. "I know what you are doing."

Ezra gave him a puzzled look. "I didn't realize I was doing anything that wasn't noticeable."

"You're adverting why you are up so early." Nathan ignored the sarcasm "If your insomnia came back, you should tell Dad and stop drinking that stuff! Seriously, cut back on it."

"I like my coffee, Nathan." Ezra pulled his cup out of Nathan's reach, not trusting him. "And what does it matter if I am already up? A cup of coffee in the morning won't effect my sleep ability at night."

In union, the boys turned towards the front door as it started to open and Josiah and Emma both came into view.

"Uh..." Josiah looked down at Emma who was still putting on her jacket and back at his boys. He wasn't expecting either of them to be up. "Emma just came over, just now to um..."

"To make breakfast!" Emma quickly finished. "You boys hungry? Of course you are! You're growing boys and growing boys need food!"

Ezra and Nathan both looked down at Emma's car that was parked in the same spot it had yesterday evening when she had come by to helped with pre-made dinners for the week as she had for several weeks now. They both looked at each other and then up at the adults who were clearly trying to make a get-away without the boys knowing she had been there the whole night.

"I will make eggs!" Emma pipped up and the three males watch her turn back into the house, no doubt realizing escaping without being noticed was no useless.

"Josiah? How did Emma's vehicle get here before she had?" Ezra asked his father donning an innocent look. "If she just arrived?"

Josiah opened his mouth to reply but with Nathan's big grin and Ezra's eyes shining with amusement, he closed it and gave thought to what he was going to say. "We will talk about this later."

"We don't need too, Dad." Nathan's grin widen. "Really. We don't."

Josiah looked at both of his sons and gave a heavy sigh before turning back into the house to find Emma.


	8. A walk in the Park

The local park on a Saturday in June was very different from New York's parks. There, the park was field with vendors and merchants, joggers, dog walkers, children, college students, homeless, users and dealers, elderly and basically a lot of mixtures.

At Four Corners, everything slowed down to a quiet, almost slumber pace. There wasn't as many people populating the park in the small little town but of course people had a lot of their own land to play upon.

It wasn't an eerie quiet but a peaceful one that a person could easily get lost in their own thoughts and sometimes if the weather was nice, Ezra found himself on the park bench observing those that never noticed they were being watched.

Inside the boundary of the park was a little corner spot for young children to play with merry-go-rounds, jungle bars, seesaws, swings, sandboxes, slides and a small rock wall. In that little corner of the park, a few children could be seen. One child seem to be stuck on the rock wall, not sure on how to go further up or drop down so instead, the child cries out for a parent who quickly comes to it's rescue.

The opposite corner contained a small skateboard arena that was in use of a crowed of merely four teenagers or young adults, it was hard to tell the age from the distance. They weren't actually skating but sitting on a ramp's edge seeming placid in their own life of hunching over their cell phones.

The basketball and tennis court was in use and there was soft-ball diamond that a father and son were practicing on. The father was obviously giving out pointers to the son but seeming the father could use a few from his boy. He could never catch any of the small pop ups his son had made and most of the time, the father's pitch was rather depressing. It didn't matter though because the father was making the effort and some place in the future that son will remember when his father played ball.

The big turn out of the little park was it's small pond over populated of ducks, bullfrogs and large fish that had small children grouping around like fan-girls to all boys' band. He chuckled to himself on spotting a goose give chase to a child half it's side. The kid's screams could be heard from his spot on the hill but the goose's own honking sound was almost as loud.

What was stunning for the eyes was the green rolling hills that sloped into flat walk paths before him. The warm breeze would caress the natural growth of wildflowers and trees that formed a jungle behind him, sending them to sway back and forth.

The view was magnificent from the bench he had claimed from the top of the highest hill. He would see it all from this very spot. It was like watching performers getting ready for the stage. He sat there with one leg bent in front him, the other foot on the top of his skateboard, earbuds streaming to the music of his cell phone that rested next to him, the book in front of him forgotten as he lost himself to the performers below. Watching their actions with a slight curve of a smile. He enjoyed watching people, trying to get a feel of them, to predict their actions. His mother would tell him it was a useful skill and he would admit, indeed it was very useful.

Even though it gave him a great advantage on spotting people, he was still startled when a girl sat next to him on the bench. For all those he was watching, he had missed her approach.

"Inez." His green eyes brighten and his smile dimpled, what an unexpected surprised he thought to himself. She hadn't spoken to him since their path crossed at his grandmother's birthday party and that felt like ages ago. While they attended the same school, when it was still in secession, she would only give him a brief smile but nothing that encouraged him to approach her. In fact the last days of school, she seemed more occupied with her friends around her to give him any type of acknowledgment. He had assumed that Vin was right about her not being interested in dating someone younger then herself, though really, their age gap was not a large one at all.

Yet, here she was and she was smiling at him a little differently. She was dressed for summer, her hair was in a sloppy pony tail that all the girls seem to be wearing. Her shirt was shouldered with thin straps and 'V'd in the back, she wore sneakers and shorts made of cotton. Her skin seem to glow under the bright rays and her vanilla scent engulfed him with a welcoming warmth.

Inez reached over and plucked the book off his lap. She turned it around to read it's title, her lips showing signs of amusement. "Dorian Gray?"

"I like the classics," Ezra leaned forward to take his book back but she playfully pulled it out of his reach to flip through the pages.

"I do as well. '_Each of us have a heave and hell in him_.' I loved this book when I first read it and still do, though I have read it several times now." Inez leaned back in the bench taking in a deep breath of the warm June air, her eyes still focused on his book. "You are very different than other boys in this town, Ezra."

"I will take that as a complement," Ezra drawled, pleased that she even remembered his name . "I rather not appear to be like the other boys."

"I don't think you will have to worry on that." Inez nodded to the skateboard resting next to him. "You read novels such as this and play on skates."

Ezra glanced down at his board and shook his head. "Stereotyping, Inez? But I more or less coast on that. I can't do those tricks and spins, I'm not that good. I would probably bust my head open if I tried to impress anyone below in the arena. Of course, they may find that impressive in it's self. It does get me to where I want to go a little faster. I suppose it will be the only wheels I have for some time to come but it's great to strengthen balance."

She pressed the book back into his hands, blushing when their fingers accidentally made contact when he closed his hand around it.

He took a breath of air in his own nervousness. Her blush was a good sign so he reached out, taking her hand gently into his and raising it closer for him to examine. "Is that paint?" He had caught the sight of a mixture of colors on her fingers and the back of her hand, it was rather hard to miss and he had recognized it to be oil base and thought why not try to impress her.

She pulled away, but to his relief not in a repulsive action and her blush did deepen. "I enjoy art. I wouldn't call myself an artist but..."

Ezra watched her shrug her shoulders as her sentence trailed off. She didn't seem comfortable talking about the subject or maybe she wasn't use to doing so. "But you like to paint?" He pressed, not wanting to drop the subject that she obviously had an interest in.

"Yes." She gave him a soft, warm laugh as she reached out to scrunch her hair a little with nervousness. Girls played with their hair when they were interested in someone, it was something he had noticed when practicing his 'people skills'."I like to paint. I am not good but I am getting better."

"I think that's a common trait among artist. They are their worst critic but their turn out projects are much more than they realize or visualized." Ezra leaned his torso closer to her, as he was telling her a secret."Don't tell my father but I have a slight interest in the history of it. Impressionism of Monet, Realism of Courbet, Expressionism of Munch, Neo-Impressionist of Rysselberghe and well, you get the picture, sort of speaking. What is your poison?"

"I am trying Realism." Inez slightly titled her head, enjoying the notion of someone that understands her hobby. "Do you paint?"

"Oh no." Ezra shook his head. "With great regret, I have to relinquish that ability. My stick figures hide in shame." He gave a dramatic mournful sigh but secretly in his mind, he patted himself on the back at her giggle. "Not everyone has to be a musician to appreciate music. Not everyone has to be an artist to appreciate art."

"Why wouldn't you want your father to know?" Inez shifted slightly so she could view him better.

"If Josiah heard me say 'like' and 'history' in the same sentence," Ezra shook his head in wonder and gave a soft, long whistle. "The man would go over eons of years with me and all that history had to offer. I don't mind history itself but Josiah has that type of voice, if one would listen to it for a long duration, they would fall into a deep slumber that I doubt even a first kiss could waken."

Inez pulled her legs up on the bench, getting more comfortable as their discussion carried. "You call your father by his name?"

"Our relationship is a little complex," Ezra smile faltered slightly and he turned his eyes back over to the land below him. To his relief, she picked up his change of vocal tone and moved away from that topic.

"There are a lot of rumors going on about you because of your ankle band." Inez glanced down at his foot, the hem of his jeans covered the monitor.

He glanced down at his own foot and back to her. He had thought by now, everyone in the little town knew what he had done but obviously, it was still fueling on new stories that made people unsure but not ready to let it die down. "Is that why you approached me? To find out what my terrible deed was? Here I thought it was because I was another pretty face."

She shook her head at his humour and bit her lower lip, that made him more aware of her mouth, before replying. "I am curious, I admit it but you don't have to tell me. I won't die without knowing."

Ezra shifted on the bench so he faced her and able to lean closer to her. "I'm secretly working for the FBI as an undercover agent and the monitor is a hidden form of communication. Our entire conversation has been recorded as prior conversation with others, which has merits on what I am about to tell you. Now, I shouldn't be telling you this but I do believe you to be trustworthy and perhaps you can aid in the procedure as well." He gave a deep sigh and looked towards the children surrounding the pond, then over both of his shoulders as to make sure no one could over hear their conversation. "I had been sent here to look into the criminal activity involving the smuggle of imported bread crumbs."

Inez threw her head back and laughed. "Liar!"

Ezra laugh with her, admiring her natural beauty. She wore no make up but the sun gave her a healthy glow. Her eyes reminded him of the color of the Mississippi river and he could defiantly drown in them and he would be happy with that.

"I do wish I could have something noble like that to share with you but," He shook his head. "Typical underage driving drunk while being stupid about it."

"I do like the bread crumb case better." Inez leaned her head against her hand, her elbow on her knee. "Do you still do that stuff?"

"No." Ezra shook his head, he flipped the pages of his book absently minded as he spoke. "My monitor would go off if I took a sip of any sort of liqueur."

"And once the monitor comes off?" Inez questioned further. "What then?"

"I'm good at learning lessons." Ezra blinked at her, she didn't appear to be one of those party girls that wanted to get wasted every weekend. She didn't seem to be the type to search out a 'bad boy' so bragging about ordeal wouldn't get him very far. "I don't feel the need to tangle in that web again. Apparently, I get stupid when I drink but I sober up rather wisely."

Inez nodded her head in agreement. "That's good to know. I don't find drunks attractive or stupidity."

Ezra raised his brows. "Am I to understand that there is a small chance you find me attractive? Since I am not drunk nor am I stupid."

Inez gave him a slow smile but didn't answer him. There was a small silence that came across them. It was a comfortable silence. Both studying each other, catching each other's eyes. It was the sound of the ice cream truck below that terminated their muteness.

They both turned their eyes down below the hill to where children were racing towards the truck like bees to a hive.

"Can I buy you an ice cream?" Ezra asked her. "I am sure it is over priced but there is just something pleasing about purchasing when one is enjoying the summer sun."

He bounced the book's spine on his leg while she let him wait for an answer. Something was battling inside her mind and it was the first time since she sat down, he started to doubt this flirtation they had been playing with. She shook her head. "I shouldn't."

"But?" Ezra leaned against her, bumping his shoulder with hers, playfully. He really didn't want to hear a no, that was too disappointing. He wanted her to think of him the next time she had an ice cream or even walked in the park or heard the chimes of the ice cream truck and he wanted her to smile at this little memory. The more she thought about him, the better his chances were of getting to know her a little more and maybe something would develop.

'_But what of us?_' a soft voice questioned him in the back of his mind, causing him to blink back an approaching memory of his own.

"I really shouldn't." She gave him a grin and he felt her bumping his shoulder back.

"Chocolate is your favorite, am I right?" Ezra asked, standing up and holding his hand out for her to take, trying to cover the sudden anxiety that crept up inside him. "Women love chocolate."

"Just because I am a female doesn't mean I like chocolate." Inez gave him a disapproval look and did ignore his hand. "Who is stereotyping now?"

"Touche." Ezra averted his disappointment by hitting his skateboard with the toe of his shoe, catching it when it rose up. "What kind, then?" He started to walk in a slow pace towards the truck but watched her over his shoulder. To his relief, she had stood up and matched his pace beside him. It was a good thing the kids were swamping the truck so they had plenty of time to get there.

She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. "I do like chocolate but it isn't because I am a girl."

"Of course not." Ezra gave her a wink. "I like mint. Plain, none of that extra sugar syrup on top. Thank you by the way."

"For what?" Inez looked over at him curiously.

"For allowing me to buy you an ice cream." Ezra made sure he walked close enough to her that their shoulders were almost touching but with enough space between them so he seem pushing. "You saying no could had wrecked my ability to ask any girl anything at all in the future and I would had grown up to be a lonely, isolated man."

"I never said yes." Inez reminded him, watching him at the corner of her eyes. "But I am glad I didn't hurt your pride."

"But you didn't say no." Ezra clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth that caused her to roll her eyes. "So I have a chance, right?"

"You are a true Larabee." Inez shook her head with amusement.

"I'm a Standish." Ezra corrected her.

* * *

The silver carrier arrived, wobbling on it's wheels from the pounding coming from inside and making the truck in front bounce slightly as they do during a heavy storm. It seemed to those that had gathered around, it was indeed a storm inside the small horse unit.

"Back it around so when we open the door he can take off!" John yelled to the driver, Benjamin who nodded his head.

Since the family were either working or in school, it took a few weeks to get the proper repairs done to the extra corral and it took more time to get other things built for the care of a horse that didn't play well with others. Because they did own other horses, it was important to make sure the new horse also had no health issues and was current with all it's vaccines. John had even built an extra stable within the barn that would keep the other horse safe from nips and kicks if the horse decided to throw a tantrum, which was exactly what it was doing now.

Natalie watched on the porch, she had her arm around JD so he didn't accidentally get in the way with his over curiosity. JD's own arms were wrapped around Diesel's collar so the dog wouldn't get in the way. JD was excellent around horses but they were, except Peso, rather laid back personalities.

Vin was perched on the fence near the gate to swing it shut once the truck pulled forward. Chris was sitting on the fence as well and Buck leaned against the outside post.

Once the trailer was backed up against the gate of the corral, John carefully but quickly unlatched the door and it swung open. The horse didn't waste any time at all as it barreled forward, it's head tossing in anger for being locked up in the little metal box. He snorted and kicked his back legs, bringing up a trail of dust behind him.

"Damn." Chris grinned watching the horse race around it's new playground. The other horses stopped chewing their lunch to twitch their ears. Peso threw his own head up and down, his mouth full of language that only another horse would understand.

"That is a beauty." Buck pushed his cap up on his head, admiring the horse as it started to settle and now trotted passed it's viewers. It's chestnut coat shining in the summer light and it's muscles twitching with irritation.

"That is a whole lot of spirit." Vin kept casting his eyes between the new horse and his own, who walked slowly to the fence to inspect the new resident.

"It's a whole lot of attitude, is what it is." John wiped his forehead from the heat. He could scent of horses grow stronger with the sun beating down on them.

"That would sum up Chaucer." Benjamin had climbed out of the pickup and now stood next to John. "Poetry in motion."

Vin nodded his head, it was a perfect description of the horse before them. "Think anyone will be able to ride him?"

John nodded his head. "Every horse has a rider."

"Are you up for the challenge old man?" Chris teased his father but John wasn't going to be gloated into the joke. He just stood there shaking his head, he was too old to get on the back of that spirit.

Chaucer had finally settled down and was slowly walking around, checking out his new area but to Vin, it seemed like he was a shark circling a boat. Every complete circle the horse made brought him closer to the fence post. He wasn't sure at first but after the horse made a few more passes, the horse had started to pick up a little more pace. It wasn't the kind that would have him bolting over the fence, though if he wanted to do so, Vin was sure he would had.

No, Chaucer had something forming within his mind and whether it was intuition or just suspicion, Vin slowly climbed off the fence so he was on the opposite side of the horse. Chris still sat on the top fence rail and Buck was leaning against the post but not for long.

"What is he doing?" Buck also noticed the horse had started to pick up a little speed.

"Just stretching his legs." John assumed. He assumed wrong.

Chaucer was nearing them on another pass, nearly brushing the fence now.

"Hey Chris..."Buck stepped away from the fence when Chaucer dipped his head on passing the post Buck had been leaning against and threw it's head back up, right under Chris' legs.

"Chris!" Natalie cried out, she was already running towards her son.

Chris wasn't sure what had happened. One moment he was sitting on the fence and now he was on his back, flat out on the ground.

"He flipped you!" Vin laughed, seeing that his brother experienced no injuries other than a sore pride.

Chris sat up, glaring at his laughing brother. Make that brothers, as Buck was barely holding himself up right from laughing so hard. Even Peso, on the other side of the fence was bouncing his head up and down with approval.

Natalie stopped in relief as Chris picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off.

"I think you have been challenged." John winked at his son.

"Only expect the unexpected from him." Ben clapped Chris on the back for good luck as he headed for his truck.

"How can you expect what you can't expect?" JD asked to know one specifically.

Chris narrowed his eyes at the horse who gave him a slight huff as if saying 'Bring it on'.

"Oh this is going to be interesting!" Buck wiped the tears from his eyes.

* * *

Nathan looked at himself in the mirror, satisfied in how he saw himself. He was a good looking teen, tall in structure, a little thin but not too bad. He felt confidant and he knew that he was smart. And he smelled damn good.

He sighed inward, no. He was too thin and he sometimes broke out even though he ate healthy...most of the time and he was not confident at all in fact, he was a nervous wreck. He doubted himself a lot at times and he knew he was overbearing at times not to forget, always tensed as if he always was ready to go into a battle.

"You're fine." Ezra said from Nathan's doorway that he leaned against watching his brother from a safe distance. "She obviously fallen for your dull personality and intellectual mind and non-existing charm. The rest of you is something she obviously is willing to overlook."

"Shut up." Nathan growled. He wasn't in the mood for Ezra's mocking attitude. He got testy with Ezra sometimes when he shouldn't. He knew that but he couldn't help it. In some ways, like today, he found himself envying his younger brother for his never-lacking confident and the uncanny way of coming out on top and he hated that he did that. "I want to look good."

"And you do." Ezra collapsed on Nathan's bed. For Ezra, he couldn't understand why his brother was so nervous. Everything Nathan did was always for a greater good and for that, came a great deal of respect. Nathan could say anything at all and people would believe every word without question because Nathan had made his name an honorable name. "Or until you eat Josiah's supper, well then we all may look somewhat green."

"I already apologized for the meal." Nathan found himself apologizing a lot when he was with Rain. It was a habit he realized he had developed and needing to eliminate it. He apologized for the state of their home, after all they were restoring it. He apologized for the food, none of the men in the house were impressive in the kitchen. He apologized for his father's ability to ramble about nothing at all and for his brother's lack of morals. He even apologized for apologizing so much. He wanted to impress her so badly, she was so prefect that everything around him seem so imperfect, not good enough for her.

Ezra watched as Nathan pressed his shirt flat at an imaginary wrinkle. "She is going to arrive before you get done with yourself. Do you really want her alone with Josiah? She may never come calling on you again."

"I can't believe I asked her to come for dinner." Nathan sat on his bed to pull on his formal high gloss dress shoes. "I can't believe she said yes."

"For only having two dates with Rain, I think you may have jumped the gun too." Ezra reached towards his brother, fixing the back of his shirt collar. "She said yes though and it is too late to turn yellow now."

"Could you try not to ruin this for me?" Nathan gave Ezra an apologetic look at Ezra's baffled expression and hurried to explain. "I mean, Buck and Chris kinda let me know what Vin has done towards their dates and I am really serious about her. More so than I have ever been. I really like her. I mean really, really like her. She feels like a dream and I'm afraid that I am going to wake up soon. She is too good to be true."

"The delight in seeing you get worked up today is worth any prank I could possibly pull." Ezra teased him gently. "It may be hard for you to believe but I want her to work out for you too. She is good for you. And sometimes, even those that seem to be too good to be true are true indeed."

"Yeah?" Nathan grin widen. "Guess so."

"I would like to also add that it would be nice to see you settle down with her and as soon as you move out I get this huge room." Ezra looked around Nathan's room. "I got some serious plans for this place."

"Oh, is that it!" Nathan ruffled Ezra's hair. "Maybe not only will I stay but maybe she will too."

"Don't make such a threat!" Ezra covered his ears but in truth, one that he would never admit, he wouldn't mind it at all if Nathan stayed.

Down below they heard a knock at the front door.

"Showtime, Nate." Ezra smiled as Nathan ran once more to the mirror for one last look. "I believe you will crack it from over-use and that would be seven years of bad luck."

* * *

**A/N:**

To my reviewers. Thank you all so very much for the reviews. Some have even left questions on what I wrote - and that's all good, so I can address them in the story. My mind works faster than my hand sometimes and I will think I wrote it down or it makes sense when it doesn't - I mean, after all, I know how it ends. I only have two weeks left before my employment places me on extreme over time. I hate over-time but I am grateful for a job and for the extra money and there really isn't anything I can do about it and - well, there are much worse things that can happen to me then giving up my weekend. But it does mean that with my busier schedule, I may not be able to post weekly as I have been. So I do apologies before hand. I am trying to finish this story up before then for fear I may abandon it. I have a history streak of doing that with previous stories. Also, I have been terribly ill of late - nothing serious but has impacted my writing for this week.

**Finabin:** Thank you so much for all your reviews. I feel at times I am over loading Ezra as well. He does seem to be the one everyone drops everything on, doesn't he? I do have a purpose for that. I don't believe it will be clear in this story but it will in the next and I am just building him up for it because it isn't something that is suddenly and randomly just happens. I want it to build and you will read more of Lei as well. When I do address Ezra head on, I hope I can clarify why I picked him but for now, I feel I would just be telling too much. I have something for him and Inez but I have a story for Inez so she is going to be giving Ezra some mixed signals.

**LaraFrank**\- So happy you enjoyed Ezra's birthday. I really had fun typing that one up. They were actually going to do a tug-of-war but I don't know what happened but it turned into football instead. I am sure Buck is relieved that he finally talked with his parents but not everything is done with Buck. I am nearing a huge change for him where this story will be ending but not before he gets a little surprise. Not all surprises are good surprise by the way.

**Sibylla29**\- Unfortunately, Ezra will find more trouble. He is good at that. I do have a story in mind where -for once- he isn't the trouble and he isn't the one that finds trouble so there is that but that's a short story and a little in the future time line. Is Buck really the father? I don't want to give too much away. I do think you will be surprised at the end of this story with Lucy, the baby and Buck.

**Guest**\- Thank you for the review and for really enjoying this story!

**Heilwig** \- I appreciate your show of enjoyment to this story. I glad you like the little light humour of Josiah and Emma at the end. I loved how he was so in love with her in the show and I wished she would had returned his affection. In this AU - she does but as they say, love is a rocky road.

**Millie-** thank you for the kind reviews! I always love hearing from you!

**Lotte**\- Thank you for the encouragements. I live in a small town myself and things aren't kept secrets and I wanted to show that about this town. People will always find the truth but I wanted John to be the type of father that not only let his son suffer but know that Buck had to step up to the plate and a be men and it met facing his parents not them going to him. Does that make sense?

**Kathy**\- You had so many questions which is why I thought I would address my reviews in the author notes. Visiting the Reservation will happen in another story, not in this one only because I want to stay focus on the main stream of this story and that's Buck and Lucy. I do throw in some other side stories to give myself a break from these two, like the birthday part. I also am building Ezra's story up so it doesn't suddenly happen. I also want to get Ezra out of that monitor for the Reservation. I put him in the monitor to keep my focus on the story lines or else I would have a thousands story lines branching off and it would become an overwhelming mess. I had to harness myself.

lol Mary was never a favorite character of mine though she started to grow on my towards the end. I thought she was a bit of a buzzing bee, always in things that didn't involve her. But I have a story line for her and Vin. Vin is a little free spirited so...hmmm. I wrote a story that started my AU and Natalie had a birthday party. Though they were not directly introduced, I had hope I implied that Nettie was at that party with Casey and she had already somewhat familiar with the boys. I don't foresee Nettie being a major player in my stories. She isn't a main character like Chris but I do have trouble connecting with her for some reason.

Maddie and Katie- man do they have a story and yes you are right, one is so much worse than the other. It will take a while but I'm going to be planting the seed for that family very soon and we shall watch it grow. I loved the actresses that played Katie and Maddie. They did such an amazing job.

In the two weeks - I had wanted to push forward. Sometimes nothing at all happens in life worth writing about and I wanted to show some time lapse because the big event is going to happen in the summer months and soon for a reason. Above chapter, I gave you get a little Nathan and Rain and I am going to work on their relationship.

The new horse - I wanted things to be ready for the horse and I am sure some people already knew who was coming to stay at the Larabee Ranch. I just didn't want it to happen over night. I wanted to show that time and preparation was involved and that's hard to do when you have a full time job, raising children and have other horses to care for as John does even if his boys were helping out.

Why isn't anyone getting a DNA test. Well, I didn't want Buck to be the type of guy that says 'How do I know it's even mine'. I didn't want it to come across as Lucy wasn't innocent before meeting Buck, for sure so there is always that question that I am playing around just for my readers. Is he the daddy or isn't he...I am going to let you all hang on that for a while longer.

Why did no one say happy birthday to ezra. When you wrote that I kept thinking - they did. I wrote that they did but then I came to realize that you mean through out the day. Not that morning. Not when he arrived at the ranch and I want to explain why. I have a history of insomnia - it's normal for me. There are times when my days will just roll into each other that I lose track of days, which is hell on paying bills by the way. I won't remember if it's the weekend or a weekday or which day of the month it was or how many weeks I am into in that month, never-the-less if a special event comes up. The days, the weeks, they all build into one massive clump of endless time that I get lost in. I wanted to show that with Ezra. It's his birthday but he hadn't realized it arrived because, though he is sleeping, he isn't sleeping well. For the others, they just wanted to surprise him with a party and didn't want to let him aware that they knew it was his birthday. He had let is slip to Vin in the start of the story.


	9. Devils Deal

Weeds thrive in the secluded acre just out of reach of the dark tall trees' shadows. They hide the path that at one time was a welcome sight to the past. The old willow trees drops low as trying to conceal the one level abandon home. An apple tree littered the ground with rotten apples and flies swarmed around the tree like little thin winged vultures.

The roof was caving in and with that the smell wood sodding by the repeated storms mingled with the smell of the forest ground. The windows were stained with grim appearing black, as the house lost it's soul. The off white paint chipped off the wood siding, rolling and eventually falling to the ground like bone fragments.

The porch was open and small, no more than two people could stand on it and the fifth step had escaped the driven nails too many years ago. The creaky floor boards squeal in distress of the footfalls, the structure groan when the wind shifted.

Even after the death of the house, Life continues to mark it's presents upon it. Not allowing it to escape from time. Whispers of the past, the residing ghost are reasons that kept most people away from this abandon house. Like the rolling fog that was creeping out of the forest and over the creek, an eerie presents seemed to surround unwanted visitors. Shadows wander from room to room, crying out of unfair life or silently present but ever watchful. Never fully aware, never fully gone but left the living a question if they were truly ever there.

"I thought you may have changed your mind." Anderson's voice was low, as if he didn't want to disrupt anything that may still reside within the house. He didn't look up at her when he spoke, he felt no need too. The meeting was planned after all.

He sat upon something, at one time may have been a chair but it lost the back and arm rest or perhaps it never had any. There was a small oval table that had double stacked crates as a fourth leg to keep it upright. On the table was a bottle of whiskey that was keeping Anderson company and a single candle that flickered. The smell of a dying house was strong inside and cobwebs hung around the place like flimsy curtains.

Her dark eyebrow arched up, her painted red lips quirked into a sneer. "You thought wrong."

"So I did." He took a large mouthful of his whiskey followed by a pleasing sound of 'aah' before setting the bottle down. He pointed to a stack of crates next to the table. "Please have a seat, my dear."

He smiled as she passed him, taking in the smell of jasmine that she wore. She was a lovely lady, quite mad if anyone was to ask him but lovely all the same. "I believe you have brought me something?" He asked her once she had wiped the crate clean with her hand before sitting down.

"I have though it was difficult to come up with that much money." She answered him with her chin high, crossing her legs caused her short skirt to raise slightly higher on her thigh. "But the cause is of important."

"And you managed all the same." Anderson titled his head back slightly in order to view her in the shadow of the single candle. "I can offer you a discount." He licked his lower lips as his eyes danced over her.

Her eyes narrowed and her lips frowned. "I brought mace and Maddie. She is just outside that door. Two combinations you don't want to mix with."

Anderson laughed deeply. "Maddie? Your little sister? You should had asked her to come in! Why my dear, all I would have to do is offer her a little baggie and she's off to her own world of...hell who knows."

Ella took a deep breath, regretting it instantly as the musky odor of wood rot filled her nostrils. Anderson was the man to go to for anything. Whatever it may be, if you have the cash he had your desire and Maddie often did business with him to keep her in supply of her new formed habit. "I have the money, Anderson. I don't need your offer of a discount."

"Well." Anderson brushed his hands through the air above the table. "Let me see!"

Ella tossed him her purse that she was using as transportation of the large bills. "It's all in there. Every dollar."

Anderson slowly unzipped the purse, his eyes stayed on the woman that sat across from him. Carefully he took out five stacks of hundred dollar bills equaling to a thousand in each stack. "My my my. How did you come up with these beautiful greens so quickly my dear?"

"That is none of your business!" Ella growled out.

"No. I suppose it is not." Anderson smiled all the same. Yes, the sight of money always made his heart flutter and for what she wanted done, it should be much more but he knew she would never been able to raise that much money and he didn't want to lose the business deal. After all, it was better than nothing at all.

Ella took a folded paper out from the back of her cell phone case and slammed it down onto the table, causing a ring of dust to lift off and settle back heavily.

Anderson looked at the paper and back at Ella, his hand slowly picking up the paper and unfolding it. He cleared his throat as he studied the paper. It was a picture of Sarah at a distance and of close range.

Ella pointed at the printed photo. "Will those due for your minions."

"With respect, they prefer to be called soldiers." Anderson corrected her. "Considering that they are willing to do this deed that you want to be carried out, I suggest you remember that or I may allow them to teach you what minions are cable of doing. Mace or not."

"Do we have a deal or not?" Ella tried to act as his threat didn't bother her but she knew he would do it and that frighten her.

"That we do. That we certainly do." Anderson stuffed the notes back into her purse. "I am to assume that I may keep this lovely baggage to transport the transaction?"

Ella nodded her head and wave a dainty hand at the purse. "Yes. Keep it. When can I expect the finalization?"

Anderson took another drink from his bottle and offered her a sip which she refused to his disappointment. "These things take time to set up. The law likes to get in the way so it is important that I set this up that would eliminate all traces to myself and well, to you my dear."

"I appreciate that but never-the-less, I time frame would be just as appreciated." Ella eyes started to shine with the possibility of her future, just as she dreamed.

"It will be done when the timing is right but if it is an estimated time frame you are searching for, I should say that before the summer ends." Anderson answered her.

"And will I know before the event take place? And how it will happen?" Ella asked, she hated the idea that she would spend all summer waiting on news.

"No my dear, you will not. When it happen is when the timing is right which isn't so easily predictable and how it happens is best left to me. The less you know is one less path that could be traced. You do understand that, don't you?" Anderson titled his head slightly. No one would ever believe this little country girl held such a dark spirit.

Ella stood up, wiping her hands on her skirt. "Yes, of course." She reached over the table to shake his hand. She wanted to slap the amusing grin off his face as he looked from her offered hand and back to her face. He slowly stood up, reached out to take her hand into his own and brought it to his lips.

"If you change your mind about that discount, just let me know." Without warning, he tugged her her hand causing her to bend over the table and his lips covered her. Her hands flew into fist, slamming him in the chest that only caused him more enjoyment.

Her mouth tasted sour with whiskey and rustic with blood from her bruised lips. She pushed her hands against his chest, pulling away and wiping her mouth with one hand, the other hand landed across his cheek loudly. "Do not ever do that to me again!" She glared at him, her face flushed with fear and her voice trying to hide it but to shaky to pull it off.

Anderson sat back on his broken chair and laughed. He laughed harder as she stumbled around the half lit room before finding the door leading towards the outside world.

"All done?" Maddie, who was standing by like a faithful watch dog glanced back at the small house. Anderson's laughter still raged on.

"Come on!" Ella grabbed her sister's arm at her elbow and dragged her down an overgrown path. Neither took noticed to the men that laid hidden in the woven shadows, watching at Anderson's orders.

* * *

**A/N: **So this chapter wasn't meant to happen. Today, for some reason I just did not feel in the mood to post anything. Yet, I knew if I didn't the story would become a stand still. The thing is - I have a chapter that was ready to be posted and it wasn't this chapter. This chapter...its a newborn. Just happened and for my plan, I think it has become an important chapter. Oddly enough. That is why it's short as well. Sorry about that.

I wasn't sure how people would feel about commenting on reviews. Some readers hate it while others enjoy it. For my current readers, I get a vibe that you prefer it [helps that it was stated] so I will continue. If you rather I did not answer your review or acknowledge it through my chapters - just give me a "DON"T DO IT" or whatever. I'm laid back and it won't bother me.

So lets start out with

**Finabin**: Last week was your favorite chapter! I am glad you like it. I had wrote that chapter up sometime in August and was waiting for the timing to be right. To me, it always seemed that the possibility between Inez and Ezra was there but Ezra was being dunce about it in the show. I wanted to make him more aware of his feeling for her in my story. Ezra does deserve a break and he will get one but I have a miserable story line planned out for him. Ezra is a strong character and I think I will show that. Chaucer...I had to place him into the story! Though Ezra wouldn't be able to show off his riding skills until he gets that monitor off but I have a lovely way of connecting Chaucer and Ezra together - which is a small 'break' I suppose.

**Kathy**: Why did John and Natalie wait so long between Josiah and Chris. I honestly didn't think anyone would question this and I think it's because I have family members that have children in that long gab that it's 'normal' for me. BUT you did ask and it was a perfect question because it was a bridge I needed to connect an event that is about to happen. It actually would had been posted today if the above chapter hadn't happen. So thank you for that question but please stick around for the next chapter to answer it. The other thing you brought up was Nettie and Ezra's relationship. As I said, Nettie is hard for me to connect with but there is a small story brewing in my head that is trying to form with her and Ezra. I think it may be a nice holiday story. You throwing things at me is very helpful. Actually I have some ideas I need to jot down before I forget but the storm is solidifying.

**Farmgirl: **Ezra has perfect flaws which makes him so easy to write about. It's his story line that started all these mess I created. So you will be pleased there will be more however, it will get dark before it gets carefree.

**Lottie:** I'm glad you found Inez and Ezra's interaction pleasing. She is going to be stirring some drama though.

**Hollie: **Glad you loved that last chapter. They do make a nice pair of friends, don't they. I will try to prove you wrong about the love interest. It's a challenge after all. Lets see if I can persuasive you?

**Larafrank: **Your comment is hard to respond too because in my story, Ezra does have a past and it's not a happy past but it isn't all bad either but I feel as I will disappoint you somewhere down the line. You will have to let me know. I do hope I will continue to keep your interest in the story.

**Sibylia: **I don't want to give away too much surprise but Chris isn't done trying to break a bit of Chaucer's spirit. He is determined to saddle up. I hope you will be amused.

**Millie**: I'm glad you enjoy the story and I always look forward to seeing your name among my reviewers!


	10. It happened One Summer Night

_Blossoms the lovely stars, the forget-me-knots of the angels - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

* * *

Determination and stubbornness can be a powering trait but when two parties are in the equal of these particular gene and refusing the same outcome of the task, it can become a stalemate in the process of trying to finish the project. Or in the end, one of the two must simply throw in the towel and walk away with the feeling of defeat.

After being flipped by Chaucer, Chris made it his personal goal to show the horse that it was the rider who was in charge not the other way around. He was determined to succeed and the more attempts he failed, the more stubborn he had gotten.

It was difficult to find time between dating and working at the garage to spend time with trying to tame the spirited horse but Chris did find it on Sundays to throw in a couple of hours with the horse. At first, he started with brushing the horse down. Which Chaucer seemed to love and it was a good start. Chris would lead the horse out into the corral with a leading rope talking to him gently, but more of less telling the horse what the plans of the day were to be.

Chris did not have problems saddling Chaucer and he thought things were off to a good start. Chaucer even let Chris climb into the saddle but as soon as Chris let him know that it was time to move, Chaucer sat down. Chris would get off and Chaucer would stand up. It was humours, Chris thought of the first three times but after repeating of climbing up onto the saddle and Chaucer sitting back on his romp twelve times, it started to annoy Chris. He had even petted the horse in between the sit downs.

It wasn't helping that Vin and Buck sat on the post, eating from a fresh bowl of popcorn or that John had joined the two all encouraging Chris to give it up for the day.

"Think he is on a sit down strike," Vin yelled at his older brother. "You would had made an awful cowboy, you know? Laughing stock of the town having your horse sit down on you like that!"

"It isn't going to happen." Buck didn't help either.

Chris ignored them and eventually his father and brothers got tired of watching the same thing happen. Chris saddles up, Chaucer sits down.

The following Sunday was slightly more amusing. John and Natalie came home to Chris being chased around the corral by Chaucer baring a broom in his mouth. Chaucer being the faster of the two, would pass Chris, knocking the bristle end of the broom along side Chris' head. Whenever Chris would quickly leave the corral, Chaucer would drop the broom close by and Chris would try to sneak back in only to have Chaucer pick the broom back up and chase him out again.

"I am starting to love that horse," John told his wife, taking their groceries bags out of the back of the jeep. "I've been wanting to do that myself a time or two."

The Sunday after that became a family event. The whole family lined the fence to see the eventful show. Like the first Sunday, Chaucer allowed Chris to saddle him up but once Chris climbed into the saddle, Chaucer decided it was a good time to roll, not only knocking Chris down but wiggling his saddle loose when he stood up. Whenever Chris tried to fix the saddle, Chaucer would pull his hair hard enough to cause Chris' head to go back.

"He's going to make you bald." JD yelled at his older brother.

Vin high-five his brother. "Fraid they are going to teach Peso some bad manners."

"I wouldn't put it pass Peso giving Chaucer some ideas of is own late night in that barn." Buck grinned over at Vin's horse who seemed to take an interest in Chris failed attempts.

The follow week was a dreary day. It had just rain and the corral was slick with mud. Even Chris was dreading the time spent with Chaucer but didn't want to break the routine with the horse. To some relief, Chris didn't need to fret. Chris had led Chaucer toward the corral but as soon as the horse saw the mud, he pulled at his lead and led himself back into his stable. Turning around, he pulled his stall door shut behind him. When Chris got near him, Chaucer would shake his his vigorously and snap his teeth at Chris.

Chris gave up that day, his family were disappointed that the show was can canceled because of mud. But even though this day was a wash out, there would be next week. Chris was determined and Chris was stubborn but so was Chaucer.

* * *

The weekend after that turned tragic but that is how life acted. One day things are all fun but the next, a twist in fate and that solid ground you were standing on plunges to a pit of darkness and a person never sees it coming.

Lucy smiled as she held up a small stuff football to the other two ladies she was shopping with. "Isn't this so adorable! Do you think I should get it?"

"Buck may like that more than the babe." Sarah sighed, hooking her arm around the other's as her eyes danced over the shelves of baby items. "I am baby envious. I can't wait until Chris and I have one."

"But the wedding is first," Natalie plucked the football from Lucy's hand and tossed it into the basket.

Sarah and Lucy both laughed but it was Sarah that said, "Yes. The wedding will come before the baby. Chris has it all planned out. House, wedding, better job then the baby." She blew out her cheeks, her fringes flowing upward as she did. "I want to skip that and go to the baby. He wants a hug family and so do I."

"Well you are more than welcome to come by my place and help with the baby." Lucy was pleased that Natalie and Sarah took her in so easily, as she was meant to be a part of the small family. "I don't see me having another one right away. I probably will scare most of the boys in town away with having a child."

"What do you think you will have?" Sarah held up a little boy matching set and a little girls.

Lucy smiled and patted her stomach. "I actually had my first sonogram the other day."

"No!" Natalie beamed at her. "Were you able to tell the gender? Do you have a copy?"

"I do in fact." Lucy pulled her purse in front of her and unzipped the side pocket pulling out a black and white photo. "I wanted to give Buck this copy." She handed it over to Natalie. "You should had seen his face lite up when he saw the baby! He was 'that's my baby right there!' at the doctor, already being the proud papa."

Natalie eyes were starting to brim with tears at looking at her grandchild. "Such a little thing."

Sarah looked over Natalie's shoulder at the picture, the image was clear on where the head of the child was and the lower body. "Yeah, I am so baby envious right now."

"And we have names picked out!" Lucy grinned. "If a boy, it was the name I picked out and if a girl, it is a name Buck picked out."

Sarah exchanged a fearful look with Natalie. "Are you sure that's wise. The names he could come up with..."

"He picked a great name. It wasn't a name I really like only because the poor thing would have to learn to spell it. I was looking at Mila or Lily, something easy but he picked Angelica." Lucy shrugged but maintained her smile. "It's a good name."

"Buck always had a softer side than he let on." Natalie smiled down at the sonogram photo. "Would you mind if I steal this for a day to make a copy before giving back to you to give to Buck?"

"A course not." Lucy gave her the case she was using to protect the photo in. "My mom made copies too! I should had thought you both would want one but, I'm new to this and I was overwhelmed."

"That is why we are here!" After Natalie carefully tucked the photo away in her own purse she went back towards the shopping at hand. "To make sure we get proper baby items. I love shopping for baby things. I never got tired of it when I was pregnant with the boys."

"So Natalie," Sarah looked over at the older woman who was inspecting car seats and price tags. "Why did you wait so long between Josiah and Chris?"

Natalie looked up from the boxed car seat she was crouching beside. "To be honest, I didn't plan it that way." She stood up with the box, placing it into the market basket. "It's no secret that I had Josiah before I was out of school or even the age of maturity and it was a joyful and scary surprise. He wasn't easy to deliver either." Natalie smiled at the memory of when her adult son was an infant. "Lord, he was a big boy."

"Guess you didn't want to go through that so soon, huh." Lucy looked over at her sympathetically.

"It wasn't really because of the difficult of the birth. You soon forget that but I was still very young and so was John. We swore our next one would be when we were married and in the meantime, we focused on raising Josiah." She gave a brief shrug. "When we felt the timing was as good as it was going to get, I suppose Josiah was about five by then, we tried. We tried for a few years and then we gave up the dream of another child. It wasn't happening. I thought maybe I was too small when I had Josiah and he was too big, that maybe something was damaged though no doctor could find anything. John and I accepted that I may never become pregnant again but we still felt blessed having Josiah. Then, out of the blue, I started getting morning sickness. I didn't think that I was pregnant, I thought I had a bad bug. I was also late but for me, that was normal. I was never predictable when it came to that. I went for a check-up, test were run to rule things out by protocol and surprise to me and John we became blessed with Chris. Without trying, Buck came quickly after and so did Vin. JD was the only one that was planned and because of my age, he was going to be the last. So it wasn't that I didn't want my boys all about the same age it was just nature wasn't allowing it to happen for me. Just for some reason, I was meant to have my boys spread out. In some ways, I wish they all grew up together but there are days that I'm glad Josiah is older and can hopefully give them guidance when needed."

"I would like to have another child close to age but it would take a special man to accept another man's child." Lucy gave a small smile, a little hope but not too much expectation.

* * *

The shopping spree was Natalie's idea and it was nice to do some shopping without the boys. She loved her boys and would never trade them in for anyone else but to spend time with some female companions was therapeutic for her soul.

They left their little town behind for a forty-five minute drive to the next town with a line up out-let stores that were set up like a village similar to ones that a person would see on prints during the Christmas season.

Not only were their so many selections of clothing stores, even one suited for babies, but it offered a food court that had a range of food choices and also a theater. Today a drama was playing about two love ones trying to find their way back to each other after being torn apart by lies of other players. It was a marvelous and was a treat for all the women.

When they came out of the theater, the sky was already starting to darken with the summer night's sky. The parking lot was nearly empty with only a few vacant cars. Towards their left was a car in idle as waiting to pick up someone. Natalie stopped in front of the theater, still on the curb to dig through her purse for the car keys. Sarah and Lucy had stepped off the curb, walking towards Natalie's car. They spirits were high with experiencing a wonderful day. They didn't think much of a car in the far side of the lot's lights had come on. They didn't think much as it pulled from it's parked stall and headed towards them, assuming it was heading for the exist passed the theater.

Natalie had found her keys and as she looked up, she saw the car speeding up. She looked over to the girls, who also noticed the car was approaching faster. Thinking the driver was being a jerk, the two girls sped up their pace to get out of the driver's way but their facial expression showed signs of annoyance. Natalie frowned as she saw the car shift slightly to the left, not away from the girls but towards the girls.

"Sarah! Lucy!" Natalie called out and started to rush towards the girls just as the sound of the accelerator started to pick up.

It was instantaneous but at the same moment, time seemed to had slowed down. The girls turned towards the car, it's headlights blinding them, they didn't have time to scream and the car never slowed. The sound of hard thumps and the tires squealing as it drove onto the main freeway, leaving the victims on the pavement by the time Natalie reached them. She knelt down beside the two girls, tears streaming down her face, her hands shaking as she reached out to both of them, not knowing what to do but needing to do something. She cried their names out in sobs and looked around for someone who may be able to help them.

The man that was in the idling car soon was kneeling next to her, his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her and a cell phone cradling between his ear and shoulder. He too wasn't sure what should be done. He answered the dispatchers questions as best as he could while he looked up at the sky silently wishing he was anywhere but there.

* * *

"And then he picked up the handle of the broom with that mouth of his and started chasing Chris all about!" Buck's story telling skills were the best. He had them all laughing before he even told them about the main event. "So Chris jumps over the fence to get away and as he lands into the other corral, he slips in this gift Peso left behind. I swear those two horses planned it!"

Buck and Chris decided to visit Josiah as they waited for the ladies to come back from their shopping spree. The girls had taken Natalie's car, so she would be coming into town to drop off Lucy and Sarah. Buck wanted to hear how Lucy's day went and decided he would ride home with his mother. Chris also wanted to see how Sarah and most likely, he would escorting her home.

So they found themselves in late June's summer night on the front porch of their elder brother's home telling him and his sons about Chris misfortune day of trying to tame Chaucer while eating pizza that Josiah had ordered at the small table on the porch. Because of the time, Ezra sat on a chair in the doorway with the door opened to not set off the monitor but still be part of the conversation.

"I wish I could had seen that!" Nathan wiped the tears from his eyes, the image of Chris being chased by a broom wielding horse floating inside his mind.

"Glad I could amusing you all." Chris sent them all a glare but it wasn't his hard core glare.

"You can't take the credit." Buck grinned at his brother. "Nah. Chaucer is the star of the show and you are just his little pawn."

Ezra glanced over at Buck quickly, he almost forgot to breath. "Chaucer?"

"The horse's name." Chris gave Ezra a curious look, no one else seem to noticed how the boy's green eyes grew on hearing the horse's name. Chris happened to be sitting at the angle where Ezra sat directly in his sight or he would had missed it. "He thinks he is high and mighty so it fits."

Ezra took a small bite from the pizza he had and chewed thoughtfully but didn't add seem to want to add anything else. Chris gut was saying that he should press the matter but the sharp clap on his shoulder caused him to look over at Josiah instead.

Josiah clapped his brother on the shoulder good heartily. "I'm sure there is a lesson to be learnt in all of your fail attempts."

"Sure there is!" Buck pointed a his half eaten pizza at Chris. "How to piss off Chris."

"Oh, I was thinking more like 'how not to ride a horse'," Josiah winked over at his brother.

"When I start to learn to ride, I want a nicer horse." Nathan picked up his glass of lemonade, taking a large swallow of the sweet liquid. His grandfather had mentioned to him about learning to horseback, insuring Nathan that he would love it.

"We got a nice old gal for you whenever you want to start." Buck told him and looked over at Ezra. "But you know how to ride, right? Vin said you did."

Ezra nodded his head, "I learnt to ride when I was quite young and I stayed at my uncles' home before moving with with Josiah, he had a few horses he used for racing and once in awhile he would allow me to use them."

"When you get that stupid monitor off you should stay over night and go riding." Buck told him.

Ezra frowned at his monitor, it was becoming an irritation. "Vin had already discussed it with me. My first free night."

Josiah smiled over at Ezra, he was glad that Vin was already planning that day and making it something for Ezra to really look forward too. Like an award.

"Hey." Nathan nodded to the car approaching the circle of their driveway. "Isn't that Grandpa Larabee?"

"Guess he got out of work early tonight." Chris slid his chair over as Josiah added another to the small table.

"Lucky Vin isn't here or there would be no pizza left," Ezra replied from his spot in the doorway.

They watched as John slowly got out of the jeep and made his was up to his family. He hesitated in his steps, looking back at the jeep as he wanted to exscap. The small family exchanged look of concern with each other as John started the normally short distance to the porch.

"Dad." Josiah greeted his father with nodding to the chair he had just placed. "Looks as the world landed on your shoulders tonight."

"It has." John ignored the chair as he took off his uniformed hat. He studied it for a moment. He has done this speech before but it was never easy and never has he ever had done it to his own family. "The girls." His eyes went to Buck and Chris and everyone around could feel their breath catching. Everyone knew something unpleasant was about to happen. The chills ran over their skin, hair stood up in the end, muscles tighten not wanting to hear anything John had to say but at the same time, needing to hear it to know.

Chris stood up, Josiah put his hand on his arm. Buck leaned back in his chair, his hands going to the arm rest, already bracing himself.

"Dad?" Josiah whispered, for him to continue.

John shook his head. "Sarah and Lucy were involved in a hit an run tonight."

Chris shook his head and Buck looked away.

"They both are at the hospital now with your mother. Lucy's family and Sarah's father are being taken over there now and I came to get you boys." John went on, swallowing hard. "I don't know their conditions yet." That was a lie, they both were in a bad way he knew that. It was his job to know that.

Buck pulled out from the table, the pizza he had just eaten started to feel heavy in his stomach.

"Are they alive? Can you tell us that!" Chris glared at his father but John ignored the anger in his voice. Chris always got angry when he didn't know how else to act or to do and Buck got started to pace which didn't help calm Chris any.

John nodded his head that yes, they were alive. "Both were unconscious from my last report."

"And the baby?" Buck croaked out, running his hands through his hair nervously.

"I don't know, son." John told him truthfully. "I think we will find out more once we get to the hospital and the doctors had examine them."

"I will go and pick up Vin and JD. They can spend the night with us for however long is needed." Josiah stood up, already digging for the keys in his pocket.

John nodded an appreciation at his older son and followed Buck and Chris to his jeep. Nathan and Ezra exchanged sorrowed glances.

"You two mind keeping on an eye on Vin and JD if I need to leave the house?" Josiah asked once the other three had driven off. "They are more attached to the two girls than we are and it's going to be hard on them."

"Yeah." Nathan had stood up and started to put the pizza away. "Maybe they will want some of this and I will set up that spare bedroom beside Ezra's."

"Thank you." Josiah sighed, he knew Nathan would keep busy. Nathan was so much like his mother, he needed to help anyway he could, it was his nature. "You don't mind, Ezra?"

"Not at all." Ezra gave his father a soft smile. He hated how the air suddenly turned heavy. It made it harder to breath. "I'm sure we can find something to keep their minds off things."

"Inside the house though." Josiah gave him a pointed look.

"Yes. Yes." Ezra said with a hint of annoyance. "I'm almost free from this device and I have no plans on delaying my separation from it."

* * *

**A/N: **So things are turning a little darker, reason I added a lighter bit on top. To show how quickly things can be great and one little thing can turn the world upside down. We all have been at this point, I'm sure of it. The next chapter is not going to be any lighter. There won't be any happy moments in the next chapter and the story is coming to an end. I would like to say that not all stories have happy endings.

**Kathy**: You are right not to trust Ella in this story and I'm glad you find the previous chapter to fit well into the story. I really think it was a chapter that needed to be written, I was just unaware of it at the time. With pleasure, I am going to say that I will be able to finish this story! I will probably only write up short stories until my over-time season has passed, which will be into January. With working more days and longer days while trying to cram in holiday shopping and family events, it's going to be a little rough to commit to anything longer than that so Ezra's story will be held off for a time but not forgotten.

**Heilwig:** Very pleased that you love the twist in the stories. I like throwing them in there while creating doors for new stories that way somehow, they all connect together. You will let me know how you like the twist above, won't you?

**Lotte:** I never thought of putting Ezra and Buck into a situation that will have them against each other unless it's for amusement and even then it would be all good-sporting. In the stories I have in my mind, I do **not** have the seven going against each other. I want to show them as watching each other's back. They may have disagreements and may not like what one is doing but I want them to be supportive with each other. So don't fret on that!

**Idonotget: **Glad to hear you have enjoyed the last chapter, I hope you do enjoy this chapter as well. Ezra's story will be much later in coming but I do want to write it and I do have some of it started but I don't feel it is wise to commit to it just yet. I promise more little chapters along the way until my work schedule lightens up. Please be patient with me though. I do want to share Ezra's story.

**Millie:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like the meeting of the villains. Without them, it would make the story seem a little dull and I like to write up villains sometimes, especially on bad days! It seems more easier to write them up when in a cranky mood anyways.


	11. Sorrow

****WARNING CHAPTER CONTAINS DEATH OF CHARACTERS****

Not of main characters

If you feel it will bother you, please do not read. Wait until the next chapter.

* * *

As soon as the automatic doors slide open quietly, that unforgettable smell of the hospital filled their lungs but they pushed on. Passing the line of people from young to old moving in to their line of vision for a fraction of time. The sounds of children crying could be heard as they passed the emergency waiting room. The flashing of the lights slipped passed the glass and bounce off the walls.

They slipped through a door leading away from the emergency entrance and deeper into the hospital with the long corridors lined with bright lights. Low voices, intercoms, gurneys, clipboards, scrubs, wheelchairs, IV bags on wheels, it was an orderly chaos but they pushed on until they came to the center of the hospital first floor, directly under four more floors. It was marked with brick compass illustration on the floor design to point people to the North Wing, East Wing, South Wing, and West Wing of the hospital. Natalie was waiting in the center of the compass. Her eyes swollen from her ordeal. As soon as she saw her husband, her arms went up and around him, feeding off his physical strength to make up for the emotional strength that she had lost.

"Mom?" Buck eyes spoke of a plea that his voice didn't carry.

Natalie slowly let go of John to look at her boys. They were nearly men but they were so young yet. She reached her hands out to them and like magnets, their hands reached up to take hers. "I'm afraid I don't have any news other. Their families are on the second floor waiting room waiting for the doctors to speak to them. They are expecting you boys." She gave them a hopeful smile but it was a weak attempt. "I need some fresh air but I will be up shortly."

Chris gave Buck a quick glance and a nod towards the elevator. His mother was trying to hide the realistic outcome from the boys, not wanting them to have false hope but not wanting unnecessary grief either. It wasn't the fresh air she was seeking but a moment with their father, to gather strength for whatever follows.

John and Natalie watched the boys disappear behind the metal doors of the elevator before John put his arm around her, guiding her towards an exist for that fresh air was had insisted she needed. The doors swooshed opened and the warmth of summer's night surrounded them.

Natalie thought how odd it was that on such a beautiful night, a family's whole world would be shattered. Yet people continue on with their own lives all around them. It was if those that were effected had somehow shifted out of the sands of time, watching a world in slow motion while everyone else was oblivious.

John led her to a bench that faced the hospital's parking lot. Automobiles pulled in and out, employees in scrubs, families with balloons and flowers, wheelchairs of those that were leaving filled their surroundings.

"How bad is it, Natalie?" John finally asked the question that was on his mind since picking up the boys.

Natalie shook her head, fresh tears started to form around her eyes. "I'm told Sarah will pull through. She is in surgery for some broken bones they are going to try to repair but they told Hank that she had some damage done to her spine."

"Her spine?" John pulled Natalie closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

"I don't know how bad the damage is, they told Hank they will know more on running some test but she has a broken hip that is going to require some pins and needles and plates." Natalie wiped at her eyes, the parking over head lights were blurring like one of those oil paintings in the rain where you could just make out the object but barely. "But Lucy, no one is saying anything. John, there was so much blood..."

* * *

Chris and Buck spotted the girls' family immediately. Hank was pacing back and forth with a Styrofoam cup shaking in his hand but he stopped on seeing Chris, relief etching in his eyes.

Since Sarah's mother had left them, it had only been Hank and Sarah. It was hard for him to raise her. Hank grew up as an only child, he had no sisters and had no idea how to raise a girl. He tried though. Whatever she wanted, he worked harder to get her that but the angel she was, she rarely wanted anything at all.

Then came Chris Larabee. One of the play-hard boys of Johnathan Larabee batch and Hank was ready to throw Chris out on his skinny ass the first time Sarah introduced the boy to him. He told Chris flat out, he was no good for his daughter. Chris straight out agreed with him and even went as far to say, there probably isn't anyone on earth good enough for his little girl but Sarah was willing to give him a chance and he was hoping that Hank would too.

Hank couldn't argue with that and he couldn't break his little girl's heart, not seeing that look in her eyes. He remembered how that felt, having someone that you loved be by your side. He was stuck in a terrible situation. If he demanded Sarah never to see Chris again, he would lose her. If he allowed her to continue to see Chris, he would lose her. In the end, he decided that he would rather lose her to someone she loved than to lose her for something he had done.

"Chris." Hank croaked out. He didn't know what to say to the boy but there was a relief that he was not here alone. That someone else in this very room was going through it with him with matching emotions.

On stepping closer towards Hank, Chris noticed that the Styrofoam cup was empty but it had traces of coffee in the bottom. "Have you heard anything?" Chris asked while he was looking over at his brother who knelt down in front of the Neith, asking the same questions Chris was asking Hank and getting the same answers.

"We don't know yet." Blanche looked over at her husband, waiting for any kind of news was hard but fearing on hearing dreaded news that they never wanted to come was just as hard. "No one is willing to tell us anything."

Buck looked over their shoulders, catching sight of his parents walking out of the elevator and into the small floor waiting room quietly.

"Have they caught who done this?" Hank's voice had a stone cold anger in it but John knew it was more grief then anything.

"I'm trying to find out as much as I can." John spoke loud enough that both families involved could hear. "Keep in mind, it is out of my jurisdiction but I am trying. They interviewed the gentlemen that called the emergency number but he could only give out the model of the car and the colour. There was a couple that had come out of a coffee shop further down from the accident, they were able to get a license plate number but it belonged to a car that was reported stolen seven days ago. The license plates do not match the description of the car."

"Maybe he was mistaken?" Homer volunteered. "Maybe he got the model wrong."

"A lot of the stores had videos that match the car description." John shook his head. "Someone stolen a car and switched plates around."

"Why?" Chris asked, his eyes narrowing. "Why would someone go through that much trouble for stolen cars. Any plate run would come up as stolen regardless of what car the plates were attached too."

"Someone may have thought it would hinder any investigation," John shrugged. "Maybe the person wasn't very bright. Or maybe it's mind games."

"So this was all to get police attention?" Buck's voice showed irritation. "The girls lives were put on jeopardy because someone wanted to play cops and robbers?"

"Does it really matter?" Blanche asked looking at them all with bewilderment. "What does it matter now? How does any of this help my daughter!"

"I'm sorry." Hank apologized and once more started to pace. "I shouldn't had brought it up. I..." He stopped on catching sight of a clean cut man in a white hospital coat. He had to force himself to breath. The two men exchange glances but the doctor's eyes pulled away from Hanks and rested on Blanche and Homer.

"Mr and Mrs Neith?" The doctor looked at the two couple waiting for them to confirm who they were.

Homer stood up and helped his wife to rise from her chair too. "Our daughter?"

The doctor looked around the waiting room, not sure who was here for Lucy. "We can go to a more private room."

"Tell us? Please." Blanche grabbed her husband's hand tighter, she started shaking and tears started to flow down her cheeks. In her heart, she knew. She knew what he was going to say but she needed to hear him say it yet...she didn't want to either.

"I'm sorry. We did everything we possible could do." The doctor looked down at his clipboard, trying to harness his professional meaner by tearing his eyes away from the family's despair. "Lucy and her child passed away..."

Blanche let out a horrible wail, a sound only a mother who lost her child could ever managed. The sound tore into soul of everyone around her.

"No. No." Homer shook his head. "No."

Natalie, tears on her face as well, sank down to Blanche, gathering the other woman in her arms. John stood next to Homer, a hand on the other man's shoulder as the father numbly stood there listening to the reasons why the doctor couldn't save his little girl and his grandchild.

All the color slipped from Buck's face. He wasn't sure if he could remember to breath. He slowly turned around to find Chris right in front of him. Buck titled his head slightly as he looked at his older brother, his brother who always had the answers.

Chris shook his head and pulled Buck into a hug but Buck didn't know how to respond to him. It was as he didn't know how to function. He couldn't breath, he couldn't cry, he couldn't even move his arms.

"Just breath." Chris whispered to him. "Just breath."

And he did. It was the hardest breath he ever took.

* * *

Chris pulled the boutique from his back to present them to her with a smile ear to ear.

"Christopher Larabee." Sarah looked at him sternly but accepted them with a smile of her own. "You are going to buy out that whole flower store!" She glanced around her room at the other flowers, balloons and stuff toys he or his family had brought on visiting her.

"You deserve every petal." Chris leaned down to kiss her.

"She needs rest, remember." Hank said from an uncomfortable chair in the corner of the room. His boss had given him some approved time off work, he had plenty of time after all and he spent it at the hospital. Chris had taken him home a few times for a shower, change of clothes and encouraged the man to eat something so Sarah would get distressed.

"Today's the day isn't it?" Sarah frowned taking in how her boyfriend was dressed. "I wish I could go. It doesn't feel right that I am here."

Chris pulled a chair closer to the bed, sitting down and taking her hand into his own. "Here as in the hospital or here as being alive? We been through this before, it isn't your fault. You didn't pick and chose. Mr and Mrs Neith don't even think that so you shouldn't."

"She was pregnant though." Sarah looked over at the window. "Maybe you could speak to the doctor again? Tell him that I would come back after the funeral?"

"Sarah." Hank looked over at his daughter. "You have a broken hip with bolts and plates. You can't."

"But I can't feel anything." Sarah glared down at her legs. "So what does it matter if my hip is broken too. I just feel as I should be there. Lucy would had been there for me if it was I who..."

"Don't." Chris glared at his girlfriend. "It was too close. We," He pointed to himself and Hank. "Aren't ready to hear about the 'if's' you are thinking. We are so grateful that you are hear so please don't."

"I'm going for you." Hank told her. "I rather be here with you but since you can't go, I will go in your place."

"Looking as you hadn't slept for days or eaten? Dressed like that?" Sarah scorned at her father.

"I brought proper clothes for him." Chris leaned back in his chair.

"And everyone knows why I haven't slept or eaten in days and the people that understand aren't going to care. The people that do care, it's only for talk and I've been talked about before." Hank stood up, fetching the clothes Chris had placed on the empty hospital bed beside Sarah's.

Sarah waited for her father to leave and smiled as Chris stole another kiss. "I may forever be bond in a wheelchair, you know that don't you?"

"I heard the rumors." Chris studies his girlfriend's face, memorizing it, thinking how close he was to losing her. "One in ten chances of walking again. Lost of spinal fluid and damage to the spine. It doesn't change how I feel about you."

"This changes things for us. You know that. Kids and ranch and our dreams." Sarah poked at a string hanging from the hospital's blanket.

"My dreams were to be with you." Chris told her. "That hasn't changed. Nothing that we want for the future has changed. Maybe a little more thought needs to be put into things but it hasn't changed, Sarah."

"You want to have a wife who can't walk?" Sarah raised her eyebrows at him.

"Babe." Chris gave her a smile. "You were willing to marry me knowing that I tend to be a hard headed asshole I think I can overlook what you think is an issue. I'm still getting the better bargain."

Sarah rolled her eyes and picked up his hand, studying his fingers. "How is Buck?"

"He's a mess. He's grieving for the lost of two people." Chris told her honestly as he watched her but his mind going back to his brother. "I don't know how to help him. His lost is so much. He lost holding his baby. He lost hearing first words, first walks, the play times, the story times and I never felt what he lost. How can I help him?"

"You being next to him, that is helping him." Sarah whispered. "Right now, he needs that."

"Chris." Hank came back dressed in black. "We better get going."

On one cheek, Sarah received a kiss from Chris. On the other, she received a kiss a moment after by her father. Two men that cared for her on a completely different level but the love was equally measured.

* * *

Josiah leaned against the wall outside of the bathroom, giving his son a little privacy. For as fussy as Ezra can be, when the boy was sick he hated being pampered.

"Is he throwing up again?" Nathan had just came down from his attic room and finding a place to sit on the the landing step. f

Josiah threw his hands in the air, the sounds of Ezra vomiting in the toilet was an answer enough.

"He doesn't have fear." Nathan was mentally checking off things in his head. This bought of illness came on suddenly. "It had to be something he ate."

"We ate the same thing." Josiah glanced into the bathroom when he heard the sounds of flushing. "I can take you to the doctor."

"I'm fine." Ezra mumbled, feeling the shiver starting again. His stomach was starting to hurt but because of the muscles being over worked with the dry heaves he was starting to get, he had nothing left in his stomach any longer. His head was hurting but again, it was because of becoming ill not from any sickness. He hated himself for it. He wanted to show up for Buck, for the family but he was too weak. He couldn't go through with it. He thought he was able to do. He got dressed and everything but in the end, he didn't have enough courage. "Can you just leave me behind? I don't think it's wise for me to go."

"I rather not." Josiah rubbed his face with his hands. He had to go but he had no idea what was wrong with Ezra. "We don't know what's wrong with you?"

"Just a stomach bug, I'm sure." Ezra lied. The anxiety of the upcoming funeral won. It always won though.

"I can call Raine." Nathan took his cell phone out. "She may be able to come over."

"I do not need to be looked after as I am some baby." Ezra's voiced was slightly muffled from the mouthwash he was swirling around.

"Call her. I am okay leaving him alone for thirty minutes until she gets here. Let her know where the spare key is." Josiah gently took his hand to the back of Ezra's head as he walked out of the bathroom. "Let's get you to bed."

"He needs some water too." Nathan had his phone to his ear while it dialed his girlfriend's number. "Don't need to add dehydration to anything."

* * *

"You idiot!" Ella threw down the local newspaper with the front page about Lucy Neith. "You killed the wrong tramp! I want my money back! I will use it to find someone who can do the job correctly."

Emmett glanced indifferently at the paper she thrown on the dusty table, his eyes lazily going up to meet her blazing stare. "First off, it was not I that done the deed but an associate who has...paid the price of his error. Secondly, I won't be giving your money back but don't fret dear. I accepted the fee and I will see that the deed is done at no extra cost."

"Make sure it's the right one this time!" Ella hissed.

* * *

**A/N: **Boy I really hated writing that chapter up. It looks as I will have one more chapter in this story and I will call it complete. The next chapter won't have all the answers but to questions that no doubt will probably arise but this story is of Lucy and Buck and their moment is over so the story will be as well. My next story will be simple and only a page, I think. It will be a little light hearted because the ending of this story is depressing so I need something amusing to balance myself out.

Onwards to my lovely reviewers! Not too many but I did receive a lot of 'views' so it's all good.

**ChrisW: **I am so glad you found the last chapter to be 'WOW' worthy! I'm very tickled that I managed to surprise at least one person! Thank you for the review- it made me smile!

**Finabin: **You figured out Ella was to blame. Good for you! I hope you enjoy the chapter above as well. I hope I did it justice to get the emotion correct.

Thanks to all who read!


	12. In The End

There was the day

I realized that I would end

wanting more.

-Tare Mohr

* * *

The thick green grass was trimmed and upright stones with names and numbers etched neatly into the cold rock surround him but not in front of him. In front of him there was no stone, not just yet. It was void of any marker but the signs of a burial was unmistakable. The grass had been torn, ripped from the earth to expose the rich soil that now covered them like a blanket, tucked safely away, forever and out of his reach.

He looked down at the black and white photo copy of the only picture he will ever have of his daughter. His thumb traced over the faint details, his mind trying to picture what she would had looked like and his heart ached. He would never know. Even if he had children here after, he would never know this one. He would never see her smile, know what color her eyes were or hear her voice. He would never defend her from imaginary monsters or walk her down the aisle. The never knowing would linger in his mind forever. Perhaps not as strong as it currently was but never-the-less, he would forever wonder.

Buck looked up briefly on sensing the presence of another within the eerie silence. He had stayed long after everyone had left. He needed time to himself to be with them and his family had allowed him the time but now it seemed one thought it was time to move on. Or maybe sensing that he needed the help to move from this spot. "I can't seem to walk away."

"Then stay a little longer." Josiah's deep voice was abnormally soft. "Until you can."

"I feel as I am in a dream. I can't feel anything." Buck looked back at the picture. "Then I get this tide-a-wave of feelings all at once and all I want is to wake up to the weeks before. To do something different. To say something..."

"The numbness is your mind's defense. It's allowing you to take a break from your grief to where you can start to deal with it." Josiah voice was low but comfortably in it's strength. "Like a sedation. Yet sadly, it allows you to lie awake in bed, your mind replaying all the events like a movie set in a loop. Repeating everything you wish you could had changed. Wishing that you had just one more moment."

"You are doing a lousy job of comforting me." Buck gave him a brief watery glare but his eyes were to heavy with distress to linger along enough.

"I know there is no words that will take your grief away from you. There is nothing I can say that will heal your heart." Josiah did put an arm around his younger brother. "I can't even bundle your burden and carry it for you. But if I had the right words, if I had the ability to do anything at all, I'd do it."

In the moment Buck wished the sky would turn grey, that the clouds would roll and thunder would crack and a down pour would soak everything below because in the inside, it's how he felt. Yet the world around him remained calm, bright and beautiful to remind him that in his grief, life still surrounds him. That's the way the world works.

* * *

Raine proved to be more tolerable than Nathan when it came to her 'patient' it would seem. Though she did check on Ezra, knocking on his door gently only a couple of times. She encouraging him to drink water and to check his temperature but she had more of a warmth about her than his brother that didn't make Ezra feel as irritable when being checked upon. Over come by exhaustion, he did drift into sleep which she let him alone, not wanting to wake him.

Sleep was starting to become his enemy, he wanted it and naturally, he craved it but of late it brought him no peace. His dreams were as vivid as if he was awake that took a mental draining from him, not allowing him the rest he sought.

In his dream he awoke in a lavished penthouse room. The carpet made of lush fibers felt warm and thick under his bare feet. Carefully he rose from his bed, holding onto the soft velvet blanket the hotel had provided. Leaning against the wall for support, he headed towards the sound of running water. He was over taken by a harsh coughing fit that had him gasping for air. His chest hurt from the effort of trying to control his breathing, the air starting to feel too thick to breath in but his eyes had locked with the closed, white door frame that opened up to the suit's bathroom.

The blanket was too heavy to carry further so he allowed it to slide from his thin frame as he pushed himself towards the bathroom door, his head tilting slightly with confusion. He paused outside of the door, frowning as he stared down at his feet when they slouched in a puddle of water seeming from under the door and into the golden carpet.

It felt as every movement was draining him of strength and it was a struggle just to inhale and exhale yet he raised his fist to the door, hearing nothing but the gushing sound of water slapping against water. With urgency, he pushed the door opened, relieved to find it not locked but it was quickly replaced with dread on finding the tile floor soaked with water that cascaded over the porcelain tub, water racing from the faucet. He moved towards the porcelain tub, confused on why the water was rose coloured. He blinked as his mother was next to him, quickly turning off the running water. He peered over the side of the tub, his eyes growing large as dark eyes glazed back at him. He open his mouth but his voice failed him. He reached into the water, his mother trying unsuccessfully to prevent him from reaching her.

"Ezra!"

He found himself kneeling beside the tub with Raine' kneeling in front of him..

"What are you doing?" Raine questioned him. She turned towards the tub, quickly turning off the water. It was then he noticed the t-shirt he was wearing was wet. Raine pulled a towel from it's shelf and started to dry off his arms, her eyes darting from the tub to his face. He then realized he was in the bathroom, two rooms from his own but he couldn't recall how he had gotten there.

Raine put her hands on the side of his face, looking into his eyes. "What were you doing?"

He mind raced for a lie. "I wanted a bath..."

He was good at reading people and he knew that she didn't buy his answer. She didn't push him either, though. She helped him off the floor, he could feel her hands shaking as she held onto him. "Wait until your brother or father comes home." She placed her hand around his shoulder as she guided him back to his own room. She coaxed him to sit on his bed as she moved towards his dresser, finding a dry t-shirt. "Here. You change into this dry shirt and I will make you some tea. If you like, we sit out on the porch."

He took the cotton shirt from her hand and as she turn to leave he called out her name, "Raine?"

She stopped just at the door, her hand gently raised against the beam work.

"Don't tell Josiah." He pleaded with her. "H-he will worry and there isn't any reason."

Raine gave him a gently smile, her words softly spoken but clear that she would not promise him his request. "Change your shirt, Ezra and come down stairs. We'll drink some tea, OK."

She closed the door behind her and subconsciously, he rubbed his chest as he looked around his room. His eyes catching sight of the grey strains of hair that once again appeared near his pillow. He leaned forward, plucking the strains of hair up between his forefinger and thumb and rubbed the strains together.

"Fur?" Ezra whispered to himself as he quickly glanced around the room, his eyes locking at the sight on one of the french doors that was open just a jar.

"Ezra?" He heard Raine's voice from down below with a slight sound of concern.

"Coming!" He called down to her, he really didn't wish to frighten her anymore then he had. He quickly switch into his dry t-shirt and bounced down the stairs. "Hey, do you want to play a card game?" He asked her when he reached the kitchen where she was pouring some tea into two mugs. Perhaps he could either get her to forget about his sleep-walking incident or maybe he could add it into a wager. If he won, she wouldn't tell Josiah anything at all.

Later that night, he would take one of his blue sleeping pills that should, if he was lucky, put him into a deep slumber that wouldn't allow him to dream.

* * *

Buck was grateful for his family terrible pretense of giving him space while keeping a close eye on him. Chris was more at the hospital than at home and Buck couldn't fault him on that. Mentally, he was exhausted. He wanted space to sort his mind out but at the same time, he wanted company as well. Yet when he was in company, he felt as he was being treated as he was ill and perhaps, in some way, he was in the mental sense.

"Have they found anything out at all?" He asked his father on finding him alone at the dinner table with a coffee mug in hand.

His father had started to shake his head but that shake turned into a nod. "There is something but I didn't want to...well, I didn't think you would want to hear anything about it today of all days."

"Please tell me that they found the guy that did this." Buck sat across from his father, his blue eyes holding a hard edge that his father didn't like seeing.

John rubbed his chin with his thumb, studying his son's features before giving into a deep sigh. "Understand that nothing is concrete yet."

"Anything is better than nothing." Buck tapped his fingers against the wooden dinner table.

"Suppose your right." John leaned forward, hunching over his coffee cup. "Sheriff LaFluer had received an anonymous tip over the phone that told him to check the Long Pine Dam out near the docking area."

"Anonymous?" Buck sat back in his chair.

"There isn't a record of it, LaFluer said that the phone rang at the same time he was making a call out and a male voice told him to check that location out." John raised the mug to his mouth, taking a long drink. "And they did. Found tire tracks going straight into the dam. They got some divers in there looking about and came across a car with a body in the driver seat. It matches the description of the car that hit the girls."

"So some random asshole drives down two girls and commits suicide?" Buck shook his head. "Sounds like some pieces of the puzzle are missing if you don't mind me saying so."

"I agree but it isn't my case and they are pulling the car out now so there is no identification on the body. For all we know, it could be another victim." John reached over the table, grabbing his son's wrist. "I know it's hard to sit back and wait for things to make sense but these things take time. Remember, it's a piece of a puzzle we didn't have before."

"Well, I hope it is the driver." Buck growled, pulling away from the table. "A man that does that, well maybe he deserves to be driven into a lake."

* * *

Josiah closed the door behind Nathan, who was borrowing the truck to take Raine home as her sister drove her into town. He made his way to library of the house where Ezra had been playing a game of solitude with the old deck of cards that he always handle with care. Ezra was still where he had been, sitting on the floor, his legs out before him, crossed at the ankles and a coffee table before him where he was lining up the cards for a new game. Josiah sat down on an old over-stuff chair that reminded him of portraits of men with dinner jackets, ascot ties and a cigars. Well, he didn't own any of those he mused to himself as he folded his hands in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" Josiah asked him when Ezra started to flip a card around, finding a spot for it on top of another.

"I am well, Josiah." Ezra answered. "I believe it must had been a short lived stomach bug which took its course and now gone away."

Josiah nodded his head. He couldn't disagree, he was not a medical doctor but it could very well have been a stomach bug. "Raine spoke to me before leaving."

"Did she?" Ezra never looked up from the table. He wasn't surprised on this information. No matter how he tried to persuade Raine to not say anything, she seemed to believe it was for his best interest that she did speak out.

"She believes you were sleep walking." Josiah steepled his fingertips as he carefully watched Ezra, trying to spot clues on what may be going on with him. "And you haven't been sleeping well. Sometimes exhaustion can cause sleepwalk to happen. You keep saying nothing is bothering you but I see that clearly there is."

"It's summer, Josiah. I woke up from a nap and felt hot. A cool bath seemed inviting." Ezra lied without hesitation. "She startled me when she came into the bathroom. That is all."

"How about we play a little game?" Josiah leaned forward in his seat.

Ezra lifted his head up with a surprise and grin, holding out a deck of cards. "What do you want to play?"

Josiah shook his head. "Not a card game. A game of questions. You ask me a question and I ask you a question and we answer truthfully."

Ezra licked the bottom of his lip and started to gather his cards. "I think that stomach thing is coming back. If you don't mind, I rather go to my room and rest."

* * *

**Four Corners News**

_The Long Drive To Long Pine_

_From the help of an anonymous tip, the law officials of the West County Township police force pulled a car from the bottom of Long Pine Dam. _

_Long Pine Dam is known to be a common fishing ground to the locals but tonight it became a crime scene for the officials. _

_The car pulled from the water matched the description of a car that critically injured one woman while fatally killing another woman earlier this summer. _

_It was not just a car the officers pulled out but a body as well, still fasten by a seat belt inside the car. Was this the driver of the motor vehicle or is it another fatally to falsely direct the officers in closing the case of the hit-and-run. We will keep you posted as more information is discovered. _

_After receiving the tip, a dive team began to work on locating the car with a sonar scanner. Divers found some anchor points and used special airbags attached to the car to lift it out of the water. They found all the windows to be rolled up in the car. An autopsy will be done to find if the driver had died before or after the car sank into the lake. _

_Four Corner's News will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available._

* * *

Hank threw down the newspaper and ran his hands through his thinning hair. He wanted the dead body to be the one that hurt his daughter and killed Lucy. He wanted justice but it seemed that questions were unanswered even when they think a piece of the puzzle was found. He stretched, nodded on seeing Chris with two coffees, handing one over to Hank.

"How is she doing today?" Chris questioned as he looked down the corridor where Sarah's room would be found.

"Her spirits are a little higher. She has a nurse in there now, freshin' up she says." Hank explained for why he was in the waiting room. "Have you read the paper?"

Chris nodded his head. "I hope that's the bastard that did it."

"But why?" Hank rubbed his stubbed chin.

* * *

The next few weeks went by quite slowly with no adventitious mishaps or whatnot. The whole town seemed to fall into mourning as it moved in slower motions and carried a softer, hushing sound. Lucy was a well liked girl and her death had touched many of the town folks.

Nellie and Natalie helped Lucy's mother with the baby items that had been purchased, donating the items off for that was what Lucy would had wanted to be done. Her parents decided to put their home on the market as it was the place they had raised Lucy all her life and the memories, so many memories, unfolded before their eyes.

Buck kept the sonogram photo in a small picture frame on his dresser and he would keep the photo with him for years that follow.

END

* * *

A/N: There was a delay in this chapter. It has been very hard to write it and find the time to write it. I am dealing with my own personal lost of a love one. Even though you see it coming, you never really are prepared for the ordeal. So if you find I grow short in writing for awhile - just understand that I am in my own grief. I will write again though. I did not proof read as I should on this chapter or even in the last as I should had because of this personal issue.

Reviewers:

**Kathy:** I do have a simple story for Chaucer and Ezra and I hope in a way it brings John closer to Ezra at the same time. Or give John the knowledge that he cares for his grandsons. Thank you for the encouragement through out this story and being bold enough to question the story as it helps me to communicate to the readers better as story wise. I do appreciate it. I hope I do get to write more of Chris and Sarah - naturally Ella isn't done with those two and I have a very 'cliche' way of a story for them. I am going to do a short story that gets that tracker off of Ezra. You are right, I need some good school stories for JD and Vin. I do have a story in mind that focus mainly with Vin, who his partner in crime is - I'm not sure. It's either Ezra of JD, I'm thinking about giving Ezra a break when it comes to that story but it is based loosely from a song!

**Finabin: **I'm pleased to hear that you are glad I saved Sarah. I was a tad bit worried how readers would take to that. The pills Ezra is taking are simple sleeping pills, which can be purchased over counter and probably on-line. Though I am sure someone his age would be questioned on purchasing them - but Ezra will always have a way around it. But there is a reason I added those and the smoking to his list and I do hope to bring it all to light when his story comes around. I need things to build up and hit a pressure point so that's why I have been dropping things with Ezra. To show that things didn't happen all of sudden.

**ChrisW: **So glad this story kept you interested and I hope you enjoyed all the chapters. I always loved how Chris and Buck were close to each other and I felt it was time that Chris showed support towards Buck.

**Larafrank: ** Buck will find happiness again - but not in this story. How could he, he needs to grieve a little but he will have a different perceptive on things. In the show, I loved how he accepted that he may become a father to a little girl and how he showed his disappointment on when Lucy confessed - which wasn't admirable on her end. I wanted to keep that part of Buck true.

**Lotte2910: **I am so glad you found it to be a worthy story. I felt as I rushed it though. I do hope to see your name in the reviews for my other stories in this AU. Wither in their own story or appearing in other stories, I hope to show more of Chris' support and of course Sarah's doubt of their future because honestly, who wouldn't doubt themselves in her position?

**Heilwig: **Will Buck start to drink and fighting - though this story ends, Buck's grief hasn't and in other stories we may find him drunk or picking a fight but not to the extent that Chris had in the television show because I always felt that Buck, even in his grief, just had a better out look on life than a normal person does and that makes him a better person in my opinion. I don't want to ruin that persona of his. Thank you for all your reviews.

**Millie2077: **LOL She is a mean one, isn't she! She is quiet mad and I am going to enjoy showing just how insane she is because Ella isn't done playing! You will find more of her through out my AU stories.

**Fozrulz: **Thank you so much for your kind review. I am so glad you find my stories a treat and I hope to bring you more.

Thank you all for those that read and those that reviewed. This story is over but the AU isn't. I hope to see the familiar reviewers in my future stories and I hope you silent readers are able to enjoy more stories as well. Thank you all so very much for your supportive comments.


End file.
